Stargate: SVU 2
by Mcfergeson
Summary: Detective Olivia Benson joins Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter and the rest of the SG-1 team on their galaxy-wide search for the Asgard Slayer. But little do they realize that they're not the only ones who are seeking this deadly weapon!
1. Chapter 1

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter One**

"Oh, my God," Olivia muttered, once she stepped clear of the stargate. "We're as sure as hell not in Kansas anymore.…"

"You can say that again," Sam replied, smiling.

Once she had walked through the gate, Olivia had exchanged the concrete confines of the gate room for a large, open air marketplace that was in the center of a group of massive buildings. The buildings were built of white stone, with enormous columns, that resembled the classic Greek architecture from the ancient world. All around them walked people who were clad in togas and other scant clothing. And if they were alarmed at the sight of this group of outer-worldly travelers appearing through the stargate that stood in the center of their marketplace, they did not show it.

Olivia gazed up in wonder at the massive, multi-colored planet with rings that loomed over them in the daytime sky. The rings gleamed like gold in the sunlight. "Oh, wow…."

"P4X-459 is a moon in the orbit of a gas giant," Sam told her, as they all strode through the marketplace.

Olivia pointed at the planet above them. "That one?"

"Yep, that one, Liv."

"Welcome to Ionia," Daniel said. "If you've noticed a classical Greek influence here--that's because they're transplanted Greeks, taken from Earth several millennia ago by the Goa'uld."

"Where are the Goa'uld now?" Olivia asked.

"The theory is that they had been overthrown by the Ionians several hundred years ago," Daniel responded. "But no official record exists of a Goa'uld occupation. Since that time, they've built a thriving civilization."

"Looks just like ancient Greece," Olivia marveled, "like back on earth."

"They built what they knew, drawing on their past history," Satterfield said, as she gazed around her with a smile. "God, I love this place! It's almost like visiting living history through a time machine."

"Time travel? Been there, done that," O'Neill said, sounding bored. He glanced at Daniel and held out his hands in a broad gesture. "See? So much for me jinxing us, huh, Danny boy?"

"So you say," Daniel shot back. "But that remains to be seen."

O'Neill shook his head. "We went through the gate, and we've arrived on the other side without anything bad whatsoever happening--"

"--so far," Daniel interjected, waving a finger at him.

"Did it ever occur to you, Daniel, that you're the one who jinxes us with that persistent pessimism of yours?" O'Neill asked, annoyed.

"It's not pessimism, Jack, it's called being realistic."

"Hey, how come the Goa'uld never returned?" Olivia asked.

"Probably because they've been waiting until we showed up today to come back," Hailey dismally muttered.

"Oh, see? Huh?" O'Neill said, as he dramatically gestured at Hailey. "Now your cynicism has affected the kids, Daniel! And, thanks to you, Hailey probably doesn't even believe there's a Santa Claus anymore, as well!"

"Don't you mean Mini-Carter?" Satterfield said with a broad grin.

"I thought I told you to knock it off," Hailey told her--yet she was still laughing from the good-natured ribbing that went on between O'Neill and Daniel.

Teal'c abruptly ceased walking, almost causing Olivia to bump into him. "My apologies, Olivia Benson," he said, with a slight bow. Yet Olivia noted that, although he spoke to her, Teal'c's eyes were warily scanning the crowds.

Olivia did a quick once-over herself of the market shoppers, yet she could not see anything amiss.

"Something wrong?" she asked Teal'c in a whisper.

"I do not know," Teal'c replied. There was a look of consternation on his face.

"Sir!" Sam called, when she saw Olivia and Teal'c had stopped. "Wait up!"

"What is it?" O'Neill said, as he and the others joined Teal'c and Olivia.

"I was under the impression that I had seen something, O'Neill," Teal'c replied. "A sudden movement within the crowd. Yet, it appears to be nothing."

O'Neill nodded. But Olivia noted that he wasn't completely satisfied. "Ok, let's keep moving, then," O'Neill said. "Uh, Teal'c--you wanna bring up the rear? Just in case?"

Teal'c merely bowed his head in agreement. As they proceeded to the library, Olivia saw that, every so often, Teal'c would turn around and keep an eye on the crowd as he walked.

The Library Of History was a vast building on the edge of the city with a stunning view of the ocean. Olivia's breath was taken away by the beauty of the structure, inside which the interior was a vast gathering area with marble floors and a shimmering pool of shallow water. Giant mosaics covered the white tiled walls, depicting various famous people in Ionian history.

A lean, mature woman, looking to be in her sixties, came out from behind a counter with a smile on her face. When Satterfield saw her, she burst into a grin. "Hereta, it's good to see you again!"

"As it is good to see you, Lt. Satterfield," the librarian said. She was clad in a simple white toga with sandals.

"Hello," Daniel said, "you may not remember me, but I was here once with Lt. Satterfield and her team. I'm--"

"Dr. Jackson," Hereta said, smiling. "Of course I remember you, as well as Lt. Hailey. Welcome back."

After Daniel made the introductions of the rest of SG-1, he asked about information pertaining to Mount Tanis.

Hereta's response was to gesture for all of them to follow her as she began walking. "The fabled stronghold of Neith, yes. Dr. Jackson, you don't actually believe that Mount Tanis truly exists, do you? The supposed epic battle in the heavens between the goddess Neith and the god Ra was nothing more than a legend, a metaphor for the battle between good and evil that's been told by off-worlders like yourselves for generations."

"We're just trying to settle a bet, that's all," O'Neill told her.

"May you win," Hereta said, as she gestured at a bookshelf. "What you seek is on the bottom left shelf--at the very end."

Olivia was stunned to see that, instead of regular books, the shelves were filled with scrolls. When Satterfield removed what Hereta pointed out, she brought it over to a table and unrolled it.

Olivia leaned over to Sam and whispered, "I guess it would be too much to ask if these guys had internet access, huh?"

Sam shook her head as she chuckled at what Olivia said. "No, don't start this again, Liv…."

"Start what?" Olivia said with an innocent shrug. "I'm just saying…."

"Um, we've got a problem," Satterfield announced, as she gestured at the unrolled scroll on the table. "It's blank…."

Hereta scowled as she examined the scroll. "That is most unusual! This _should_ be the scroll you require."

"Could it be misplaced on the shelf, perhaps?" Daniel suggested.

"That is highly unlikely," Hereta replied sounding insulted at the very thought. Yet she still looked through the shelf in any case. She stood up with a frown. "It is not here. Excuse me, I must check the records."

As the librarian left them, Daniel shot O'Neill an 'I-told-you-so' look. "And now, here comes the bad luck…."

O'Neill shook his head at him. "It's just a misplaced scroll, Daniel. They probably got it in the back, someplace, that's all. Lighten up."

"It's not the first time something like this has happened here," Satterfield added. "Somebody probably has it out in the reading area."

"There," O'Neill gestured at Satterfield. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Daniel asked, shaking his head. "Jack, if that particular scroll is being used right now, then that means that there's somebody else here who may also be looking for the location of Mount Tanis."

O'Neill's countenance abruptly shifted to that of concern. "Oh crud…."

"Uh-oh," Olivia muttered, as she exchanged an anxious look with Sam.

**SG-1: SVU**

Janet Fraiser nodded hello at a few people whom she knew as she briskly made her way through the corridors of Stargate Command. Janet didn't mean to be rude by running past them, but she really didn't want to miss the procedure that was about to take place in the main operating room.

She would have already been there, if it were not for a last minute medical emergency involving Sergeant Harriman. From what Sergeant Siler and others on the scene had told Janet, it appeared that Harriman had tripped and fallen down a flight of stairs while the good sergeant had been ogling one of the new female civilian technicians in the gate room. Harriman denied it, of course--but the bright shade of red that his face had turned told Janet that a shapely young woman had indeed been the cause of his accident.

Fortunately, Walter didn't suffer any permanent injuries--except the major blow to his pride, of course. Janet suspected that the poor guy would no doubt be the brunt of jokes in the gate room for quite some time to come, now.

When she entered the operating room, Janet saw General Hammond was seated behind the glass booth, speaking to a balding man in a suit with glasses. Dr. Rodney McKay, a Canadian national whose scientific genius almost gave Sam Carter's a run for her money, stood impatiently on the operating room floor.

"Sorry, Rodney," Janet said. "Got delayed by a medical emergency, which--fortunately--turned out to be nothing."

"Very well…I suppose," Rodney said, letting out a heavy sigh--which made it sound as if he bore the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. "Our patient isn't going anywhere, anyway."

Janet glanced at the frozen man in the stasis tube in the center of the room. Officially listed as one of the Disappeared--one of many of the thousands of people who had been abducted right from earth by Neith's minions--he was an Army soldier stationed in Hawaii. Because he was military, this man, Corporal George Ellis, was chosen to be the first to be awakened.

Janet understood the reasoning behind choosing Corporal Ellis--just in case something went wrong, it would be a military man taking the risk, rather than one of the many civilians who were presently trapped in stasis--but that didn't mean she liked it any better. Still, McKay was one of the best experts they had in the field of alien technology. Recalled from an extended assignment in Russia, McKay had been able to quickly decipher the basic Goa'uld programming that would safely revive a subject in the stasis tube--although he had done this while using computer simulations; this procedure they were about to attempt would be his first actual, real-life revival.

If it worked, then this process would be used on the rest of the slumbering Disappeared in what the upper brass had referred to as the Awakening Project. Janet's presence was needed so she could keep an eye on the Corporal's vital signs. A glance at the heart/lung monitors--which McKay had hooked up to the stasis tube--showed Corporal Ellis was stable, if in a very deep sleep.

"How are his vitals?" McKay asked.

"Very good," Janet replied. She glanced at her team of nurses, who stood prepared with a defibrillator, along with other life-saving equipment. "We're ready if you're ready, Rodney."

"Then, without further ado, let's get going, shall we?" McKay turned to the glass booth, which overlooked their theater of operation. "General Hammond? We're good to go, sir."

Hammond instantly ceased his heated conversation with the balding man and nodded at McKay. "Very good Doctor," he said on the intercom. "You may proceed."

"General," the balding man angrily said, his voice overheard on the intercom, "I really _must_ insist that you--"

"Not now," Hammond curtly said. "I want to see this."

'Whoa, glad I'm not up there!' Janet thought. 'Hammond looks about ready to kill that guy--whoever he is. Wonder what they were talking about?'

Yet once McKay placed his hands on the controls of the stasis tube, Janet instantly diverted all of her attention to what was about to happen. She kept a steady eye on the Corporal's vitals as McKay manipulated the controls of the stasis tube.

"That should do it," McKay said, as he took a step back from the tube.

"Heart rate is decreasing," Janet announced, as she stared at the monitor in alarm.

"That should be normal," McKay told her. "The computer simulations also had a slight hitch in the vitals as the tube disengaged all life support. You should see a jump back to normal right about now."

Janet nodded, as she watched both of Corporal Ellis' heart and breathing rates jump up. "He's stabilizing; breathing on his own. And he's waking up."

Just then, there was a hiss as the glass partition on the front of the tube slid open, revealing the Corporal, who began coughing as he opened his eyes. He stared around him as if in a daze.

"W-What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"You're all right, Corporal Ellis," Janet assured him. "You're safe, now."

"What happened?" he asked with a stunned expression. "Where am I?"

"All will be explained in good time. But right now, just try and relax." Janet turned to her nurses. "Let's get him out of this tube, and get him prepped for a full examination, ok?"

As her nurses hustled to help the Corporal out of the stasis tube, Janet walked over to McKay, who regarded the data that flashed on a laptop computer with a critical eye.

"Great job, Rodney," Janet sincerely said.

"Well, yeah…I mean, that goes without saying," McKay muttered, as if his genius was an obvious point. "Now we just have--what? About four thousand more people to wake up?"

"Close to five thousand; collected from all over the world," Hammond said, as he and the balding man entered the operating room. "But all in good time. Superb work, Doctor McKay; Major."

"Thank you, sir," Janet replied. She thought about the several thousand souls who still slumbered in stasis tubes both here at the SGC and at Area 51. Even if they were all from the United States, getting them back home to their families would still be a delicate operation, at best. But they were dealing here with citizens who were abducted by Neith and her minions from several different countries all over the world.

Janet shuddered at the thought of dealing with the logistics of placing these people back to their homes again, and wondered how Stargate Command would deal with it without revealing the existence of the stargate to the rest of the world.

"Doctors Frasier and McKay, I'd like to introduce you to this gentleman," Hammond said, gesturing at the balding man in the suit. "Mr. Richard Woolsey, of the NID. He'll be overseeing the awakening of the Disappeared."

"How do you do?" Woolsey said with a prim nod.

'The Awakening Project is being overseen…by the NID?!' Janet thought with shock.

Hammond must have noticed her startled look, because he abruptly said, "These orders come direct from the President himself, Major."

Janet nodded in understanding. Apparently Hammond wasn't any more happier than she was about this arrangement. "I've got to admit," Janet said, "that I don't envy the task ahead of you, Mr. Woolsey."

"It's a difficult road that lies ahead of us all," Woolsey acknowledged. "One that will bring many changes to the SGC. But it will be necessary…as well as for the best."

"If one of these changes means bringing me back from Russia full time, then I'm all for it," Rodney said gleefully.

"Yes, I've been meaning to speak to you about that very subject, Doctor McKay," Woolsey said. "Are you free for lunch?"

As Woolsey and McKay strolled out the door, chatting like a pair of old friends, Hammond merely shook his head in annoyance. "Please give me the results of your examination of Corporal Ellis ASAP, Doctor."

"Yes, sir," Janet complied, as she watched him follow McKay and Woolsey into the hallway.

'It's bad enough that the NID has reared its ugly head once more,' Janet thought, as she readied herself for the medical examination of Corporal Ellis, 'but now Rodney McKay's back here on a full time basis?! Sam is gonna blow her top when she hears this!'

**SG-1: SVU**

"The Phantom Menace is superfluous," Teal'c somberly stated. "As are the other Star Wars prequel films."

"So speaks the expert," O'Neill grandly announced.

After checking the library's reading area, and not finding the scroll, Hereta figured that it must have been taken out, but not returned to the shelf--which meant that it still had to be in the vast records storage area, a place that was considerable in its size. The pile of yet-to-be-shelved scrolls alone was formidable. To make things go faster, SG-1 had offered to search for the scroll. As the group settled down at the vast table for a long period of digging, the casual topic of conversation had switched to movies, with Teal'c holding court regarding his opinion of the three Star Wars prequel films.

"Oh c'mon," Daniel said, as he looked through a scroll, "Phantom Menace isn't _that_ bad, Teal'c."

"Are you kidding?" Sam exclaimed in amazement. "Have you _seen_ The Phantom Menace, Daniel? I wanted to strangle Jar Jar Binks the moment I first saw him!"

"Me-sa bomb-bad!" Hailey abruptly said, waving her hands in an exaggerated manner. Her dead-on impression of the much maligned character caused Olivia, Satterfield and Sam to all burst into laughter. Even Teal'c had a slight smile.

"They're just movies!" Daniel said, after the laughter had died down. "You guys take them way too seriously."

"You mean the Star Wars films, or movies in general?" O'Neill asked.

"I mean movies, overall," Daniel replied. "They're just frivolous entertainment that really aren't worth any serious contemplation."

"What about Casablanca," O'Neill countered. "Wouldn't you take that seriously, Daniel?"

"Or the Maltese Falcon?" Olivia added.

"Or the Wizard Of Oz?" Sam chimed in.

"Ok, so there are _some_ classic movies," Daniel reluctantly admitted.

"Ah, see?" O'Neill said with satisfaction. "There are works of art even in the cinema."

"And what of Star Wars?" Teal'c asked, with a cocked eyebrow. "Was that not a classic film as well?"

"I thought The Empire Strikes Back was even better," Satterfield said. "It was more deeper; it just resonated with me, you know?"

Hailey sat back in her chair and wearily rubbed her face. "The Star Wars films just aren't as good as The Matrix," she said, stifling a yawn.

Teal'c just shot Hailey a glowering look--as if she had just insulted his family.

When Hailey saw this, she gave him a sheepish expression. "Oh, um, sorry, Teal'c. I guess I'm not that much of a Star Wars fan…."

After giving it some thought, Teal'c nodded his understanding at her.

When O'Neill saw Olivia rub her eyes, he said, "Maybe we should all take a break."

"I'm still good," Daniel told him. "I'd like to keep going."

"Yeah," Satterfield chimed in. "Me, too."

"How about this," O'Neill offered. "Those of us who want to take a break now, can go right ahead."

Olivia exchanged a questioning look with Sam and Hailey, who both nodded back at her.

"I guess we can use a break, sir," Sam said. "If you don't mind?"

O'Neill waved at her. "Go ahead, Carter. You can relieve us when you get back."

Sam nodded. "See you in a half hour, sir."

**SG-1: SVU**

When Sam, Olivia and Hailey went outside, the sun looked to be at twelve noon to Olivia. It made the sprawling ocean sparkle.

"Where's a good place to eat around here?" Olivia asked.

"Your backpack," Sam told her. "There's plenty of food and water in there. It's best not to risk eating the native food. Just in case it doesn't agree with you."

"I get it. It's sort of like being a regular tourist," Olivia said, smiling. "Don't drink the water!"

The trio sat on the narrow beach and ate MREs as they watched a flotilla of ships sail across the vast expanse of water before them. Olivia marveled at the fact that she was once more on an alien planet, enjoying the hospitality of a different culture that was quite literally alien.

After they were finished eating, Hailey noted there was still some extra time left.

"Instead of going directly back to the library, let's cut through the marketplace," Sam suggested. "See what's new."

"What do we do if we want to buy something?" Olivia asked. "I don't think they take MasterCard here, do they?"

"No, we normally just window shop, Liv," Sam told her, as they walked towards the market. "We never actually buy anything."

"Stargate Command doesn't send us several million miles into outer space just to go shopping," Hailey said.

"Not even if you see a dress that you simply must have?" Olivia asked her. "You mean to tell me you never encountered that situation before?"

Hailey just gave Olivia a surprised look as she started laughing. Olivia decided right then and there that she really liked this young lieutenant.

Sam shook her head in mock disgust. "Ugh, here she goes again…."

"I'm serious!" Olivia replied. She did a double take at a figure who was clad from head to toe in a large brown cloak. The cloak was pulled over the figure's face, shrouding it in shadows. The figure, upon seeing Olivia, meekly ducked into a doorway.

Olivia thought it odd that the person--whoever it was--was all covered up, considering what a wonderfully warm day it was today. 'Wonder if he has some kind of a medical problem,' she thought. Then, turning back to her conversation, she said, "But what if you do want to buy something, what do you do?"

"We'll barter," Sam said. "But, only very rarely. I mean, Hailey's right; the SGC doesn't send us out here to buy personal stuff, Liv."

Olivia caught sight of a seller's stall that was loaded with beautiful-looking, ornate trinkets that hung from thin rope. "What are those, necklaces?"

"Made from the teeth of the ketos," the seller, a pleasant old woman, told Olivia

Olivia marveled at the expert sculpting in the Greek letters and symbols, which appeared to be made from a pure white substance. "Ketos?" Olivia asked, puzzled.

"A sea creature," Hailey told her. "A leviathan that dwells in the deep sea. People here rarely see it unless the ketos beaches itself on land when it dies."

"Therefore making these trinkets very expensive," Sam whispered in Olivia's ear. "She'll probably want your whole backpack for it."

Olivia smiled, and was about to reply--until she saw something disturbing.

The mysterious figure in the brown cloak was back. It gazed at them from across the marketplace--then the figure once more ducked into an alleyway.

'That's not good,' Olivia thought, as she slowly turned around and placed the trinket back on its shelf. 'Let's see something….'

"We should probably be heading back," Sam said, with a glance at her watch.

"Oh, look at this one!" Olivia exclaimed, as she walked to the other side of the stall and took another necklace from its display. As Olivia held it up, pretending to admire it, she stared out past the trinket, into the marketplace.

'And there he is again,' Olivia realized, when she saw the same brown cloaked figure once again. This time, he stood in the opening of another market stall directly across from them, staring at them intently.

"Um, Liv," Sam called awkwardly, "we really should--"

"Just come and see this one, Sam. It's really nice!" she said. When Sam and Hailey strode over to her, Olivia whispered, "I think we're being followed. There's a guy in a brown cloak, just across the market from us. Look right beyond where I'm holding up the necklace."

Sam smartly stepped close to Olivia and pretended to marvel at the necklace, until she nodded. "Yeah, I see him. He's looking right at us."

Hailey went to grab her P90, but Sam stopped her with a slight shake of her head. "Bad idea, Hailey. Too many people here."

"She's right," Olivia muttered, still holding up the necklace. "Don't want to start a firefight with all these civilians around."

"I can let you have that one for the right price!" the stall seller eagerly called.

"Oh, I'm sure!" Olivia sarcastically said, sotto voce.

"I need some cover to call for backup," Sam told Olivia.

"Lt. Hailey? Come over here and admire this wonderful necklace, would you?" Olivia asked.

Hailey shyly came over and stood next to Olivia while Sam ducked in back of them and keyed her radio.

"Here, just hold this for a while and pretend to admire it," Olivia told Hailey. "Do you see him? Brown cloak? Standing in the door of that stall over there?"

"Yes, Detective Benson," Hailey said, staring at the mysterious figure as she feigned an intense exmaination of the necklace. "You act like you've done this before. I mean, having been followed by people…."

"Oh, you have no idea, sweetie," Olivia said, with a weary shake of her head. "The stories I could tell you! And by the way, Lieutenant, please call me Liv."

Hailey gave her another shy smile. "In that case, Liv, call me Jenny."

Olivia smiled back at her. "Jenny it is."

**SG-1: SVU**

Lord Battlemaster Amun, chief of the overall armies of the Netian Empire under Her Lord Empress Neith, awoke with a start.

Thanks to a lifetime of finely honed combat training, Amun quickly sat up in bed with his hand already pulling out the zat'nik'tel that he held under his pillow. He aimed it at the intruder in his bed chambers…until he saw it was Pal'tee, his peltac commander.

Pal'tee bowed humbly. "Forgive me, my Lord Battlemaster. But you ordered to be informed the moment we arrived at Kelora."

"Then by your presence here, am I to assume that we have arrived?" Amun asked, getting out of bed.

"Yes, my Lord. We are in orbit around the planet, now. And--there is something you must see. A debris field also orbits the planet, as well."

"A debris field?" Amun asked, as he got dressed. The slave girl whom he had just spent several pleasant hours with had now finally began to stir. "Natural or man-made?"

"It appears to be the remnants of a large, space-faring vessel," Pal'tee said. "I ordered more extensive scans to be made while I came here to humbly ask that you grace us with your presence on the peltac."

"Very well."

Amun halted when he saw the slave girl stretch out on the bed like a sated cat. She smiled broadly at him and said, "You were wonderful, Amun."

"Really?" Amun asked.

Then he walked over and kicked the woman off of the bed. She landed hard on the floor, as she stared up at him fearfully.

"And _you_ are still a slave," Amun firmly told her. "Spending a night in my bed will never change that. Guards!"

When two Jaffa warriors emerged in the bed chambers, Amun gestured at the woman and said, "This wench has forgotten her place. Take her to the slave quarters and give her a reeducation."

"No, my Lord!" the woman cried, as the brutish Jaffa effortlessly hauled her away. "I am sorry! Please!"

Amun ignored the wench's pitiful cries as he and Pal'tee quickly strode to the peltac. All of the officers stood to attention as Amun took his place in the center seat and stared out at what the massive view screen had on display.

As Pal'tee had stated, it was the remnants of a large spaceship; its myriad of scattered parts strewn in orbit around Kelora. Worse yet, Amun recognized the pieces as being from a Goa'uld Ha'tak class vessel. It had obviously blown up--or was it destroyed?--while in orbit of the planet.

And there remained yet another question, the most important one of all.

Was it _her _Ha'tak ship?

They had come out here because all communication had been lost between Her Lord Empress Neith and the rest of the Netian Empire. And now it looked as if Amun had found out why they lost contact.

Neith was dead. And if that were the case, then Amun was the new ruler of the Netian Empire.

But only if he moved quickly.

"Best speed for Tanis," he ordered. "We are returning home."

**SG-1: SVU**

Daniel scowled at his watch for the umpteenth time. "It's been thirty seven minutes, now. Is my time correct? You have the same thing, right?"

O'Neill stopped looking through his pile of scrolls in exasperation and made a big show of staring at his watch. "Yes, Daniel, it's been thirty seven minutes since they left for lunch. And, It's been five _seconds_ since you've last mentioned the time! So they're a little late…big deal!"

"If they were in trouble, would they not have called in?" Teal'c asked.

"Exactly my point," O'Neill said, nodding.

"Unless something went wrong," Satterfield said anxiously.

O'Neill was startled when his radio squawked, and Sam's voice said, "Carter to O'Neill. Sir, come in, please."

O'Neill keyed his radio and replied. "Go, Carter."

"Sir, we're being followed by an unknown person wearing a large brown cloak. Liv just spotted him."

"Is he with you, now?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes, sir. He or she is directly across the walkway from us. We're in a Ketos trinket shop, about a block east of your location."

"Does he know you're onto him?" O'Neill asked, as he abruptly got up from the table.

"No sir, we're pretending to be shopping."

"All right, just hold tight, we're coming to you," O'Neill told her. Teal'c got up and grabbed his staff weapon. But when Daniel and Satterfield also stood up, O'Neill shook his head. "No, you two stay here and keep searching for that damn scroll. Teal'c and I got this."

"Ok," Daniel said, "oh, and Jack--"

"Yeah, I know, Daniel, something _did_ go wrong on this trip," O'Neill said, annoyed. "You were right, ok? You don't have to rub it in!"

"Actually, uh, I was going to wish both you and Teal'c good luck," Daniel replied.

O'Neill was momentarily taken aback by that. "Oh. Ok, thanks."

"Um, but since you've mentioned it, Jack--"

"Can't talk, Danny, gotta run!" O'Neill ran out of the room, with Teal'c following close behind, before Daniel could start in again.

They hit the streets a few seconds later, running down the lane where the trinket shop was located. "Where did Carter say they were?" O'Neill asked. "A Kato gift shop? Didn't know there were Bruce Lee fans here."

"She said it was a Ketos trinket shop," Teal'c corrected. "The Ketos is a large, underwater leviathan which is--"

"Yeah…whatever," O'Neill muttered, as he abruptly slowed. He gestured with a nod to their right. "There they are."

Carter, Hailey and Olivia stood in a small shop filled with various ornaments. They feigned interest as the shop owner regaled them with a sales pitch regarding an ornate necklace that she was eager to sell them. But O'Neill could tell that all three SG-1 women were using the situation to keep an eye on the cloak-garbed figure who stood in the doorway across the street from them.

"There he is," O'Neill whispered to Teal'c, who nodded. O'Neill glanced warily around at the throngs of people who walked back and forth by their position. "Not a good place to mix it up. Too many people here."

Teal'c grew thoughtful for a moment. Then he said, "Perhaps we should try a more direct approach, O'Neill."

"You got an idea, T? Run with it. I'm on your six."

Teal'c nodded as he handed O'Neill his staff weapon to hold.

Then he walked right over to the cloaked figure, and politely said, "Pardon me…."

Once the cloaked figure turned towards him, Teal'c pulled out his zat gun and shot him.

The cloaked figure barely had time to react before his body was briefly covered with the electrical charge, and he was down, completely unconscious.

Teal'c had already pulled back the knocked out man's hood and was checking his cloak for weapons by the time O'Neill came up to him. "Straight to the point," O'Neill said, with a nod of approval. "I love it!"

Carter, Hailey and Olivia all came running over from the shop. "Wow," Olivia said, grinning, "that was cool!"

"You guys ok?" O'Neill asked.

Carter nodded, smiling. "You just saved us from a really nasty sales pitch sir."

"She was ruthless!" Hailey commented, as she cast a wide-eyed glance back at the shop owner, who was still determined to hawk her wares at them from across the way.

Teal'c picked up the unconscious man and held him in front of O'Neill. "He has no weapons, O'Neill. Only this."

Teal'c handed O'Neill a small opaque sphere. O'Neill held it up for the women to see. "A Goa'uld communication device."

"He's working for a Goa'uld," Carter said. "But which one?"

"His forehead bears no Goa'uld tattoo," O'Neill stated. "But Jaffa spies have been known to have their tattoos removed for undercover work."

"Who do you work for?" Teal'c demanded of the man.

Yet the man was still too dazed by the zat blast to even know who he was, let alone answer Teal'c's question.

"C'mon," O'Neill said. "Let's get him back to the library. We can question him there. I don't want to leave Daniel and Satterfield alone for too long."

As they started back, O'Neill keyed his radio. "Daniel, this is O'Neill. Daniel, come in."

There was a moment of silence, and then: "Uh, yeah, Jack?"

"Just letting you know that everything's ok. We're returning with Carter, Hailey, Olivia…and a new friend. Over."

"Um, sure…Jack…that's uh, just great."

O'Neill shook his head as he smiled slightly. 'Boy, you unleash Daniel in a room filled with books and he'll just lose all track of time….'

**SG-1: SVU**

Nacre strode through the grand court of the Palace of Her High Priestess Mut on Mount Tanis, escorted by a complement of Jaffa behind him. As servants and sycophants all hurried out of their way, Nacre felt quite like the conquering hero--and as well he should, for the measures he had taken just to get to this point, having turned a bad situation into a good one, had taken some extraordinary resourcefulness on his part.

It had been two days since had inadvertently set Teal'c and the two Tauri women loose in the private chambers of Her Lord Empress Neith. Instantly realizing that he had made a mistake that was punishable by death, Nacre quickly sought an escape--not just from the private chambers of Her Lord Empress, but also from her very sight, as well. He knew that his career--his very life with her--was over, and all he could do now was to save his own skin anyway he could.

No sooner was he free of the fracas that ensued between Teal'c and Mo'at, as well as the chase between Neith and the two Tauri women, the Royal Physician scampered away and jumped into the first ring transporter he encountered. He ringed down to the planet's surface, where he had hoped to somehow hide from his former Empress' wrath. Yet that plan changed once he had witnessed the destruction of Her Lord Empress Neith's mothership in the skies above.

Not wasting any time, Nacre ran for the stargate, only to see it being guarded by a cadre of Jaffa, who all stood looking stunned. Apparently they, too, had seen the destruction of the mothership in the skies above. Nacre strode up to the Jaffa and, in his best, authoritative voice, said: "Her Lord Empress Neith has been slain! We must report this grave news to Mount Tanis at once!"

The Jaffa, instantly recognizing his authority as the Royal Physician (and thankfully not receiving word yet about his royal screw up in Neith's chambers), took him at his word and followed Nacre through the gate to their first staging area. Gating directly to Mount Tanis was not possible--thanks to a failsafe system that was set up by Neith herself. One had to gate to a specific planet and use that gate to dial up another specific world, and each world must be visited in a very rigid order, with various checkpoints along the way.

Once they finally arrived at Mount Tanis, the hot, arid desert air blasted Nacre right in the face, making him miss the cool damp forest of Kelora. Passing through the various security check points--he was, after all, the Royal Physician--Nacre moved with ease through the courtyards of the High Priestess Mut. He had heard that Mut was somewhat more agreeable than the Lord Empress had been, and hoped to curry enough favor with her to become her Royal Physician--or whatever role that Mut saw fit for him to serve. Nacre didn't get as far as he had without knowing what do to the moment the winds of power shifted direction.

Io'tan, the loyal First Maiden to the High Priestess, glared suspiciously at Nacre and his party of Jaffa as she blocked the way to Mut's receiving room. Draped in the flowing white robes of a Holy Priestess of The Netian Empire, Io'tan held up a hand and said, "What is the meaning of this incursion, Royal Physician?"

"I wish to speak with Mut, First Maiden," Nacre respectfully said. "A dire situation has arisen which requires her attention."

"Wait here," Io'tan ordered him. She opened the door and stepped inside. After a while, she reemerged and said, "You may enter, Royal Physician Nacre, but only you. Your Jaffa must remain out here."

Entering the vast receiving room, where Mut met with her various visitors, Nacre was stunned at how many people were here--mostly young priestesses who urgently spoke amongst themselves while they watched him. Nacre would love to take any one of these lovely young ladies as a bride--yet if he played his cards right, he could very well win the hand of Mut herself. And if she sought to seize control of the Empire for herself, then Nacre would really be sitting pretty!

Mut sat in a grand throne that displayed her status as the High Priestess of the Netian Empire. Clad in a more elaborate robe, with silver trimming, her long blond hair was tied behind her in a simple pony tail. Her face was bare; unlike her sister Neith, Mut did not prefer to wear a ceremonial mask. She watched Nacre with interest as he bowed respectfully before her.

"What brings the Royal Physician back to Mount Tanis?" Mut asked. "And where, pray tell, is Her Lord Empress Neith?"

"Oh, High Priestess," Nacre dramatically cried, realizing that this was his moment to shine. "It grieves me to say that Her Lord Empress Neith is dead!"

The group of young priestesses all began to chatter anxiously amongst themselves--until Io'tan commanded them all to be silent.

"It is true, High Priestess," Nacre went on, reveling at his moment in the spotlight. "For I, the Royal Physician Nacre has--"

He never got to finish, for Mut had quickly waved a signal to one of her Jaffa, who casually stepped over to Nacre and smashed him in the face with the butt of his staff weapon.

Nacre abruptly found himself lying on the floor, trying to speak through a mouthful of blood, as Mut slowly rose from her throne.

"How dare you?!" Mut angrily said, as she loomed over the dazed Nacre. Her eyes glowed fiercely down at him. "Her Lord Empress Neith is as eternal as the very cosmos! Take him to the torture chamber!"

As the Jaffa came and lifted him from the floor, Nacre tried to plead his case, but instead of words, all that came out of his mouth were broken teeth.

'This is not what I had expected to happen,' Nacre thought, as terror seized him.

The Jaffa hauled him down to the deepest, darkest dungeon within Mut's palace. Nacre's eyes grew wide in horror when he saw the various torture devices that had been arrayed around the room.

Yet just before the Jaffa were about to strap him into one of the insidious devices, Nacre heard the voice of Io'tan: "Jaffa, hol!"

The Jaffa pulled Nacre away from the torture device and held him up before Io'tan, who turned to regard a figure that stood in the shadows. When Io'tan nodded, the figure, draped in a cloak that covered it from head to toe, came forward and removed the hood.

It was Mut.

"You will tell me everything that happened," Mut told Nacre. Her unnatural eyes, distinctive only to the Goa'uld, flared brilliantly in the darkness. "I want to know how Neith died and who killed her--I want to know _everything_. Do you understand me, Royal Physican?"

**SG-1: SVU**

'Man, there's never a dull moment,' Olivia thought, as she strolled back into the records storage area of the library with Jack, Teal'c, Sam, Jennifer and their prisoner. The man was now fully awake and none too happy at being SG-1's captive. Yet Teal'c, who walked behind him, kept a wary eye on the man with his staff weapon at the ready.

"Daniel, Satterfield," O'Neill called. "Hope you guys got as lucky as we did!"

As she came out from around the book shelf with the others, Olivia was startled to see both Daniel and Grace seated in chairs in the center of the room with their arms behind their backs. They both had very awkward expressions on their faces.

"Um, no Jack, we didn't get lucky," Daniel flatly replied. "In fact, you could say that our luck has pretty much made a turn for the worse…."

Olivia frowned when she realized that Daniel and Grace sat with their hands behind their backs because they had been tied like that to the chairs.

Before she could even say a word in warning, Olivia--along with the others--found herself surrounded by a group of men who all wore the same type of cloak as ther man whom they'd just captured.

The group of cloaked strangers were also armed with staff weapons, which they aimed at Olivia, Sam, Hailey, O'Neill and Teal'c. Teal'c had a disconcerted look on his face as he reluctantly lowered his own staff weapon. Olivia was stripped of her Glock and zat gun, along with everyone else within SG-1 who was still armed.

"Whoa, whoa," O'Neill said, stunned, as he held up his hands. "Who are these guys, the library police?"

"Oh, how I wish…." Daniel muttered. "But no; their boss is about to make the typical Goa'uld grand entrance right about now--just wait for it."

Just then, a sultry lean figure with a female physique emerged from behind a bookcase and regarded them all with a broad smile. She was a pretty woman with curly blond hair--yet when she spoke, her voice resonated with the possessed quality of a Goa'uld: "Why, hello again, Major Carter. It's so nice to see you again."

"Osiris," Sam said with disgust.

Olivia's eyes flared in shock when she recalled what Sam had told her about this particular Goa'uld. "Osiris? Isn't she Daniel's girlfriend?"

"Former girlfriend," Daniel amended. "And I used to date her back when she was just Sarah Gardner, not with--you know--the snake in her head…."

"Now that we all know one another," Osiris said, as she held up a ribbon device that was attached to her hand. "Why don't we all settle down and have a nice little discussion about the location of the Asgard Slayer?"

"Well," O'Neill crossly said, "this really sucks…."

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

_I forgot to say this before, so I'll say it now:_

_Olivia Benson and the other characters of Law & Order: SVU are owned by Dick Wolf and Universal. The Stargate: SG-1 gang are owned by MGM. I'm not making any money off of this story; it was just written for kicks. _

_I would like to thank those of you who either placed this story on your alerts, or have made it your favorite story. Thanks very much. I appreciate it, and I hope you're enjoying the ride._

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Two**

To her horror, Casey Novak found herself back aboard that nightmarish alien ship. She stood once more on the hard marble floors, which felt icy cold beneath her bare feet, and was clad in that same outfit of jeans with her 'sex crimes' shirt. It was what Casey had worn when _they_ came for her in the middle of the night and abducted her.

They…the terror from the stars.

The Goa'uld.

Casey glanced around the vast chambers, and found herself to be completely alone. She didn't understand what had happened; wasn't Olivia supposed to be with her?

'No,' Casey realized. 'It was all over! Olivia and the others saved me, and brought me back to earth. Elliot and Munch then brought me back home to New York!'

"So why am I here?" Casey asked aloud, her voice echoing in the empty room. "Again?"

The answer appeared in the fringes just beyond the illuminated space where Casey stood--for deep within the shadows, something lurked.

Something with a pair of glowing eyes.

"Oh, God, no!" Casey cried, as she ran for her life from someone who should be dead.

Her Lord Empress Neith.

She arose from the blackness like a malevolent spirit, floating right over the floor with her eyes glowing unnaturally bright. Neith let out an enraged hiss as she gave chase to Casey with her claws outstretched like those of a bird of prey.

Despite her best efforts, Casey could not escape this terrible wraith. She found herself cornered, with Neith looming over her, her gaping mouth revealing a row of fangs.

Neith lunged right at Casey, who let out a terrified scream as she--

--sat up in her bed.

"Oh, thank God," Casey whispered, when she realized it had been a dream--a horrible nightmare, really; one of many that had plagued Casey since Elliot and Munch had brought her back from Cheyenne Mountain.

She wearily got out of bed and stared at her pale reflection in the bathroom mirror. She hadn't had a decent night's sleep for several days, now--and Casey had no idea what the hell to do about this.

Restricted by a gag order from talking about her abduction at the hands of Neith, Casey had still approached George Huang, the SVU's psychiatrist, about her nightmares. Casey figured if she only spoke to him about what she was dreaming, that somehow George could still help her. Yet it proved to be of no use. George meant well--he always did--but when he tried to interpret Casey's dreams as being nothing more than a symbol of her fear of failing at her job, which was to help the victims of the SVU, it took everything Casey had to keep from strangling George right there and screaming, "BUT IT WAS REAL! IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, YOU QUACK!"

Casey let out a sigh as she strode past her bed--she might as well forget about trying to get back to sleep tonight--and went to the window, where she stared up at the night sky. Since she lived in New York City, the nighttime stars were by and large wiped out by the city lights.

Yet Casey still stared up at the blackness that lay beyond the skyscrapers, knowing that somewhere, out there, Olivia Benson was working hard to help fight the very same real monsters who stalked Casey's dreams.

"Hope you're having better luck in dealing with them than I am, Liv," Casey whispered softly.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Asgard Slayer?" O'Neill asked. "What's that?"

Osiris shook her head in disgust. "Do not play me for the fool, O'Neill. I know you presently search for the ultimate weapon that can wipe out all the Asgard."

"Really?" O'Neill gave her a surprised look. "And you know this--how?"

"I have my sources," Osiris murmured.

Olivia watched Osiris closely. This was the second time that Olivia had encountered a Goa'uld up close, and she noticed that while Osiris lacked the regal manner of Her Lord Empress Neith, she still had an arrogant bearing to her walk and overall attitude.

'What Jack and the others say about them is true,' Olivia realized. 'The Goa'uld are a pack of obnoxious egomaniacs. The galaxy would really be a better place without them.'

Olivia cast a furtive glance around her. Osiris' Jaffa numbered about ten, including the man whom they had captured, and they had her and the rest of SG-1 efficiently surrounded. Neither Olivia or Jennifer Hailey--who stood beside her--could make a move without being shot down.

'Damn it,' Olivia thought in frustration. 'If only we could get some kind of a diversion….'

"Osiris has built up quite the spy network since Sam, Janet and I have last seen her," Daniel said. He and Satterfield, who were the first to be captured, sat tied to chairs. "Back in that Egyptian temple, almost a year ago…."

"Ah, yes, the temple," Osiris said, as she crossed over to where Sam stood. She snapped her fingers, and two of her Jaffa each grabbed Sam by her arms and held her in place.

Osiris went up to Sam, until they were face to face. "I recall, as I ringed up to my ship, _you_ tried to shoot me. I suppose you feel sorry now, eh?"

"Yes, I am sorry," Sam said, as she glared back at Osiris. Then her voice took on a hard edge as she added: "I'm sorry I missed."

Osiris belted Sam across the face with a vicious slap.

"Hey, hey!" O'Neill shouted. He started to move towards Sam until he was stopped when one of the Jaffa pointed a staff weapon right at his chest. "Look, your sources were wrong, Osiris! We're just here to do some research, that's all!"

O'Neill gave Sam a pained expression as he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Carter. But I can't bear to see them hurt you. I've got to tell her."

"What is it?" Osiris demanded. "What research are you doing?"

"Well, if you must know," O'Neill said grudgingly. "Lt. Hailey over there has a really hard geometry test coming up, and we were just looking to make her a good crib sheet, you know?"

Hailey abruptly nodded her head furiously. "My math teacher is a _real_ dragon lady. Although, when it comes to being a bitch," Hailey added, as she stared right at Osiris, "she's nowhere near as bad as _you_."

Olivia could not help but chuckle at that. 'Kid's got guts….'

Osiris shook her head sadly. "If you'd rather I torture the information out of you, then so be it. Jaffa, tie the rest of them up, and we'll--"

"Excuse me," Hereta said, as she suddenly emerged from behind a bookcase. "But the noise coming from back here is too--"

The librarian never got to finish, for Teal'c used that momentary distraction to attack the Jaffa who stood guard over him by bashing a stone inkwell over his head. Once the man staggered from the blow, Teal'c grabbed his staff weapon and smashed the butt end into his face.

Olivia and Hailey took advantage of the melee that followed by grabbing their captured guns from the table. Hailey shot down another Jaffa who was about to shoot Teal'c in the back, while Olivia zatted the two Jaffa who held Sam captive.

"Rin tel nok!" Osiris commanded, and the remaining Jaffa huddled around her as she made an escape through a side door.

Once Osiris and her Jaffa left, everyone grabbed their captured weapons from the table.

"You all right, Carter?" O'Neill asked Sam.

Sam nodded with a slight smile. "I'm feeling much better, now, sir."

"Uh, we're ok, too," Daniel sarcastically said, as Olivia untied him from the chair. Next to them, Hailey untied Satterfield. "Thanks for asking, Jack. Appreciate your concern…_really!_"

Teal'c paused by the door with his staff weapon. "Osiris is escaping."

"She'll probably be headed for the gate in the marketplace," Sam said, as she retrieved her P90.

"Then let's stop her," O'Neill said. "Everybody lock and load!"

"No! You can not!" Hereta shouted at them. "To do so would reign chaos down upon Ionia from the forces of Osiris!"

Olivia stared at the librarian, stunned. "You knew she was here, all along?!"

"Of course she did," Daniel said, sounding very disappointed in Hereta. "How else could Osiris and her boys gain access to the records storage area, which is normally off limits?"

"I am sorry," Hereta said. "But if I did not help her, Osiris threatened to invade all of Ionia!"

"And you believed her?" O'Neill said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You never believe anything a Goa'uld tells you."

"Besides that, Osiris has only been revived for barely a year," Daniel told Hereta. "She hasn't had enough time to amass a sizable army. Chances are, the goons she's got with her _are_ the bulk of her army!"

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called from the door. "There is staff weapon fire coming from the market square!"

"C'mon, we've dawdled here long enough," O'Neill said, moving to the door.

"NO, STOP!" Hereta cried in a panic. "GUARDS! GUARDS!"

"But we're here to help you!" Satterfield called back.

"Grace, forget her," Hailey said. "Let's move!"

Olivia had just re-holstered her zat and Glock before she ran out the door with the others. Judging from the panicked crowds that ran past them in the opposite direction, it was safe to assume where Osiris and her goons had gone: to the center of the marketplace, where the gate was located--just as Sam had predicted.

O'Neill, who led the charge with Teal'c, gestured for all of them to take cover against a wall while they scoped out the marketplace that lay just beyond.

"They are not here," Teal'c said, puzzled. "There is no sign of them."

"The gate's still shut down, and there wasn't enough time for them to gate out," O'Neill said with a frown. "So they must still be here, somewhere."

"If they are in hiding," Teal'c said thoughtfully, "then what are they hiding from?"

"Jack," Daniel called, "when we do meet up with them, please use your zats, ok?"

O'Neill shot him an 'are you crazy?' look. "In case you haven't noticed, Daniel, Osiris and her boys are all packing staff weapons!"

Daniel nodded. "I know. Look, Osiris may have control over Sarah right now, but she can still be saved; if she's captured alive, the Tok'ra could safely remove the Goa'uld from her."

Before O'Neill could respond, Olivia pointed at the platoon of soldiers who suddenly appeared marching down the street towards them. They were clad in armor with bronze helmets and were armed with crossbows. "Whoa, who are _these_ guys?!"

"Looks like the real library police answered Hereta's call to arms," Sam said grimly.

"Damn it," O'Neill muttered. "I don't want to fight these guys. But if we have to, use your zat guns on them. Single shot only; just knock them out. C'mon, let's fall back to the stargate and get the hell out of here!"

Yet no sooner did SG-1 begin to run across the marketplace then they fell under a withering hail of staff weapons fire. It came from a shop on the far side of the marketplace, whose façade was bristling with staff weapons.

'Oh, good Christ!' Olivia thought, as Sam grabbed her arm and pulled her down behind the cover of the Dial Home Device. Olivia wasn't expecting a pleasure cruise when she agreed to go out with SG-1 again, but she also didn't expect to be in full-scale combat so soon again.

"I'm gonna dial the gate," Sam shouted at her under the constant barrage of staff weapon fire. "Cover me, Liv!"

"OK!" Olivia shouted back, as she pulled out her zat, stood up behind Sam, and started firing pell-mell at the Ionian guards. Olivia really wasn't used to this; usually, whenever she and Elliot had encountered a situation with excessive gunfire, they ran for cover and allowed the SWAT team to deal with it.

Yet her crazy salvo of zat fire seemed to be doing the trick: the Ionian guards--who looked like extras from that Spartan movie--were ducking for cover behind the very same wall that SG-1 had just emerged from. Jenny and Satterfield helped Olivia return zat fire, while O'Neill, Teal'c and Daniel focused their suppressing fire on Osiris and her boys in the shop in front of them.

When Olivia heard a loud roar of engines, she glanced up and saw a large Goa'uld ship hovering just above the marketplace.

"It's an Alkesh," Sam called, as she continued dialing the gate. "Looks like that's what Osiris was waiting around for!"

Sure enough, Osiris ran out into the middle of the empty marketplace with her Jaffa surrounding her. They were beamed up into the ship via a ring transporter, just as the stargate flared to life with its massive energy backsplash. No longer under fire on their end, O'Neill, Daniel and Teal'c rejoined the women at the DHD.

Olivia stared up in wide-eyed fear as the alkesh ship--which still hovered over them--brought its massive laser cannons to bear down on them. "Heads up, guys!"

"They are targeting us, O'Neill!" Teal'c shouted.

Sam nodded at her GDO. "We're clear to go through!"

"Then GO!" O'Neill shouted. "Everybody through the gate now!"

Olivia, Sam and Daniel went through, with O'Neill, Satterfield and Hailey right behind them. Teal'c brought up the rear--just as a huge laser blast erupted on the stargate platform behind them.

Olivia was suspended in time and space as she rode through the kaleidoscope-like tunnel of colors and sounds that was the stargate. No matter how many times she made this trip, Olivia never failed to be awed by it--nor at the fact that she presently traveled over several thousand light years in a matter of seconds.

Still, Olivia was grateful to be back on terra firma once she emerged in the gate room. General Hammond was waiting for them at the far end of the gate room. "Is everybody all right?" he asked.

"Fine sir," O'Neill said, as the gate shut down behind them. "It got a little hairy at the end, there. But we're all right now."

"It turns out we're having some problems of our own on this end," Hammond said. "Let's resume this conversation in the conference room, after you're done being checked out in the infirmary…."

**SG-1: SVU**

Janet stared at Corporal Ellis with concern.

The Army corporal had successfully been revived from the stasis tube by Rodney McKay, only to be stricken by a mystery ailment that left him struggling for breath. He lay in a hospital bed in an isolated ward within the infirmary with an oxygen mask strapped over his nose and mouth. Nothing Janet did could relieve the Corporal of his pain, nor could she figure out the cause of this ailment, or how to treat it.

Nurse Rei Maseru entered the isolation room, clad in a special mask and outfit designed to prevent further infection to the Corporal--as well as preventing her from catching what he had. Janet wore the same garments as well. She had called for Nurse Maseru to relieve her when Mr. Woolsey had asked if he could meet with Janet personally for an assessment of the medical situation--which Janet presently saw as being pretty dire, until they could figure out what had caused the Corporal's infection.

After Janet had gone through the decontamination process and changed into her usual uniform and white medical coat, she emerged into the hall, where she saw Rodney. He stood leaning awkwardly against the wall, until he saw her.

"I got it," Rodney said excitedly. "In examining the stasis tube, I found a nozzle, which led to a small tank that injected the air within the stasis tube with an airborne toxin of some kind."

Janet shook her head in disgust at the thought that this had been a deliberate act. "I hope you were wearing protective clothing, Rodney."

He quickly nodded. "Yes, I was." Then he had a pained expression on his face. "Although it would have served me right had I been infected as well…."

"Rodney! Don't say that! It wasn't your fault…."

"Yes, it was," he insisted. "I should have foreseen that the Goa'uld would have had some sort of failsafe mechanism to prevent anyone from opening the stasis tube without proper authorization."

"It's still not your fault for being unable to think as deviously as a Goa'uld," Janet said.

"How's the Corporal?" Rodney asked, changing the subject.

"Stable, for now," Janet replied, as she continued walking down the hallway. "Have you been also called for a meeting by Woolsey?"

"Yeah, he's eager to know what we're doing about this little complication," Rodney said.

"'Little complication?'" Janet said, irked. "I'm sure Corporal Ellis wouldn't consider this to be a little complication."

"Woolsey's words, not mine," Rodney told her. "But, I take it that the Corporal _is _feeling better?"

"I didn't say he was better, Rodney. I said he was stable, which means no change. He hasn't gotten worse…but that's not saying much. Because he also hasn't improved, either. I just hope this isn't what's in store for the rest of the Disappeared when we--"

Janet abruptly stopped walking when something occurred to her. "Casey Novak…."

Rodney stared at her in puzzlement. "Casey Novak? Who's that, a baseball player?"

"No, she's an assistant district attorney in New York City," Janet said. "She was also one of the Disappeared, whom we rescued."

McKay's eyes grew wide. "Yes, I remember her, now! I read the report. You pulled her out of one of the stasis tubes, didn't you?"

"And she suffered none of the side effects that Corporal Ellis is suffering from," Janet added.

"Why?" Rodney asked. "I mean, how is that possible?"

"That's a very good question," Janet said, as she resumed walking. "One which I intend to find the answer to."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Respectfully, sir, we need to go back," Satterfield urgently said. "We need to send in a fully armed team, like SG-3, to help the Ionians."

"She's right," Daniel added. "For all we know, Osiris' alkesh may be laying waste to the city right now. The Ionians don't have the weaponry to fight back against something like that."

There was an uneasy moment of silence around the conference table. SG-1 had just returned from their check up in the infirmary, for which they had all been cleared. And now they sat around the massive table on the second floor conference room that had a grand view of the gate room down below. Hammond sat at the end, and Sam thought the way he thoughtfully regarded both Daniel and Satterfield did not bode well.

"Did the Ionians specifically ask for our help?" Hammond asked.

'Damn it!' Sam thought with infuriation. She knew what was coming.

"Uh, no," Daniel replied, looking annoyed. "I must imagine, being under attack by an alkesh, that one wouldn't have much time to lodge a formal request for help!"

"Oh, c'mon, Daniel," O'Neill said. "That's not fair!"

"Is it?" Daniel asked.

"You know it!" O'Neill shot back. "The Ionians were shooting at us, remember? That's not the act of someone who's asking for help."

"They were shooting at us because of a stupid misunderstanding," Daniel said.

"Wars have begun over the very same circumstances that you've described, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said sadly.

"And let's not forget that Hereta was working with Osiris," O'Neill told him. "The Ionians were in league with her!"

"So we just condemn the entire race, based on the actions of a few people?" Daniel asked.

"No, we don't, Daniel," Sam said softly. She glanced at Satterfield, who also sat glowering in her seat. "But there's only so much that we can do in a situation like this. You both know that."

"We do not know for sure if Osiris laid waste to all of Ionian society," Teal'c added. "She could have broken off her attack once we had gone through the stargate."

"But we don't know for sure about anything, do we?" Daniel persisted. "If nothing else, aside from the loss of life, the loss of the Ionian library will be just as historically tragic as the loss of the Great Library Of Alexandria was here on earth!"

"The Ionians could have contacted us for help the moment Osiris approached them," O'Neill said firmly. "But they did not. They chose to instead work with her, against us, in subterfuge."

Daniel, growing sick of the conversation, just waved his a hands in disgust.

"So, um, I guess we won't be sending in the Marines this time?" Olivia meekly asked.

"I'm afraid it's a lot more complicated than that, Detective Benson," Hammond said. "When dealing with a planet that has any kind of a society, we must respect them as if they were just like any other sovereign nation. If they didn't ask for our help, then sending in the Marines could be considered an act of war on our part."

After taking a deep breath, Hammond continued: "Add to that, the subject that Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson have just discussed--the fact that the Ionians may well have been colluding with Osiris--and it just becomes a very tangled ball of string. Do I dare risk sending any more people through the stargate, knowing that they may be walking into a hostile situation? I have to weigh all of this whenever making a decision."

Hailey leaned forward in her seat. "Sir, might I suggest that we at least send a MALP back to Ionia to ascertain what happened?"

Hammond nodded. "That is what I _will_ do, Lieutenant. Doctor Jackson, would that be acceptable to you?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you. And--General Hammond, I don't blame you personally, sir. You're simply doing your job. It's just…a very frustrating situation overall."

"Believe me, I know how you feel when it comes to feeling frustrated," Hammond said. "I've been dealing with Mr. Woolsey now for the past--"

Sam looked over in horror when she saw Woolsey walking up the staircase right at that very instant.

"Um, sir!" Sam quickly spoke up, cutting off Hammond before he could say any further derogatory comments about Woolsey. "It appears that Mr. Woolsey has decided to join us."

Hammond shot her a quick nod of thanks as he turned to face the bureaucrat. "Mr. Woolsey, I thought we had an understanding regarding the separation of our spheres of influence…."

Woolsey held up his hands. "Yes, general, I know. I'm only in charge of the Awakening Project, while you still run the day to day operations of Stargate Command. However, Doctors Fraiser and McKay have brought something to my attention which I think you should know."

'McKay?!' Sam thought with alarm. 'When did they let him out of Russia?'

She was further shocked, and sickened, when Rodney--who stood beside Woolsey with Janet--gave her a snarky little wave in greeting.

'Oh, this day is just going along swimmingly,' Sam thought miserably. When she turned back towards the table and despondently buried her head in her hands, Sam felt a hand gently touch her arm.

She glanced up and saw it was Olivia who had touched her. She stared at Sam with concern as she whispered, "You ok?"

"I'll live," Sam whispered back. "I'll explain later, Liv, in private."

Olivia nodded in understanding.

Sam quickly put her repulsion at seeing McKay again aside and focused on the conversation between Woolsey and Hammond, who spoke about the revelation that Janet had regarding the fact that, unlike Corporal Ellis, Casey Novak didn't suffer any side effects from waking up.

"What was different about the situation when Ms. Novak woke up?" Hammond asked SG-1.

"Her stasis tube had been shot during a firefight, sir," Sam told him. "It was damaged, and filling with smoke. Teal'c smashed the glass and got her out."

McKay pointed at her as he nodded. "Yeah, that would explain it! Novak was never infected because the tube never had a chance to infect her! It was damaged!"

"Still, sir, I'd like to get Ms. Novak back here for another medical check up, just to be sure," Janet said. She glanced at Olivia and added, "I'd also like to give you another once over, Liv--just to be on the safe side, too."

Hammond gazed at Olivia with concern. "If I recall correctly, your stasis tube was opened while you were still in Neith's facility, Detective Benson."

"Yes it was, sir," Sam chimed in. "I opened it when we were in the control room of the facility. Liv suffered no health side effects either."

"That makes sense," McKay said, as he nodded his head once more. "The stasis tubes may have been designed to be safely opened only from the Goa'uld control room--otherwise, if you remove them, and then try and open them, that sets off the booby trap."

"Then since Ms. Novak's tube was damaged," Hailey joined in, "all we would have to do is somehow damage the stasis tubes of the Disappeared in the same way. We could shoot it with a zat."

"The electrical charge from the zat should be enough to nullify the booby trap," Sam said, smiling with approval.

But Rodney merely stared at Hailey with distain. "Excuse me, but I'm having a scientific disscussion with Major Carter, who's at least almost in the same league--intellectually speaking--as I am. So, when I need the opinions of a grunt, I'll be sure and ask _you_."

Hailey, who glared back at him with a mixture of shock and outrage, started to abruptly get up from her seat--as if she meant to tackle Rodney to the floor--until Sam waved her to sit back down.

"He's like that with everybody," Sam told her. "Trust me, just let it go."

Olivia leaned over to Sam and whispered: "Now I think I know what your problem with him is."

Sam just nodded at her with a broad grin. "Bingo!"

"If I could reassume control of this briefing for just one moment," Hammond said, not without a measure of sarcasm. "I think it would be best to get Casey Novak back to Stargate Command before we begin any further experiments on the Disappeared."

"Yes," Woolsey said. "I quite agree."

"And regarding Corporal Ellis, Doctor Fraiser," Hammond added. "How are you coming along with a cure?"

"Rodney found the delivery system that infected the corporal," Janet spoke up. "I'll just need to examine the residue within the tank, and--hopefully--will be able to track down the means for a cure."

"Very well," Hammond said. "Colonel O'Neill, since Ionia is presently a dead end in our search for the Asgard Slayer, I'd like for you and SG-1 to go to New York and retrieve Ms. Novak."

"I hope we're not giving up on the hunt for the Asgard Slayer, sir," O'Neill said.

"On the contrary, Colonel, the hunt is heating up," Hammond assured him. "I've contacted the Asgard, and Thor is on his way here to confer with us personally about this matter. I've also contacted the Tok'ra, and they've told me that they'll have one of their best people investigating the exact whereabouts of the Netian Empire. So, if anything pans out, SG-1 will be the team that checks it out."

"Very good, sir," O'Neill replied, satisfied. "As long as it's SG-1 that does the panning. Well…you know what I mean, sir."

As the meeting began to break up, Janet called over to Olivia. "Just come with me, and we'll get your check up done right now."

Olivia nodded as she got up from the table. Yet before she could go with Janet, Rodney deliberately stepped in front of Olivia. "Well, hello there, gorgeous," Rodney said, in his best rakish manner. "Olivia, is it? I've noticed that we've haven't been introduced."

"Yes, and I'd like to keep it that way," Olivia cheerfully said. "Now excuse me."

Rodney's come-hither smile quickly faded as Olivia roughly shoved past him and left the conference room with Janet. Sam had tried to hide it, but her grin was just too big to keep hidden from Rodney. She just gave Rodney the thumbs up sign and said, "Way to go, Romeo!"

Rodney was about to walk over to where Sam stood with O'Neill--until he saw a very angry looking Hailey stride up to him.

"Uh, pardon me," Rodney said, as he quickly walked away.

Hailey snapped off a salute to O'Neill and asked, "Permission to pummel that man senseless, sir?"

"Um," O'Neill muttered, as he actually considered the idea. Then he shook his head. "No, Lieutenant. As much as he deserves it, permission denied."

Hailey flashed him a grin. "Very well, sir. May I ask something else?"

"Ask away."

"Lieutenant Satterfield and I are still without an SG unit, what with Sergeant Cullman still in the infirmary, and SG-12 still not having been assigned a new team leader as of yet," Hailey said. While she spoke, Satterfield came up and stood beside her. "And we would very much like to continue with SG-1, at least while you search for the Asgard Slayer."

"Yes, Lieutenant," O'Neill said. "Both you and Satterfield are more than welcome to continue _continuing_ with us…isn't that right, Carter?"

Sam had to think about the awkward phrasing that he used for a moment. "Yes sir. Uh, I wouldn't quite use the same vocabulary that you did, but I share your feelings. I also welcome Hailey and Satterfield's help."

O'Neill shot her a narrow-eyed look. "Well…as long as we're all on the same page, then to hell with the vocabulary, I say."

That response made Hailey and Satterfield give each other a puzzled glance. Sam knew how they felt, because she was confused too. But after serving with Jack O'Neill for five years now, Sam had become used to it.

'Time for a change of subject,' she thought.

"It'll be good to have the Tok'ra helping us," Sam said.

O'Neill's expression became dismal. "Oh, please….we don't need their help."

"Well, you have to admit, sir," Sam said. "The likelihood of finding the Asgard Slayer will increase now that we have some extra eyes joining the search. You know, the general said the Tok'ra have one of their best people on the case. I can't help but wonder who that is."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Amazing," Jacob Carter said, "simply amazing…."

He sat in the pilot's seat of his teltac ship, admiring the design of the Ha'tak-class Goa'uld vessel that hovered just ahead of him. The familiar flashing and streaking lights of hyperspace swirled all around them--and normally, when traveling in hyperspace, Jacob enjoyed viewing the endless patterns that were created in the vortex.

But this ship, with its unusual design, had seized Jacob's full attention. From the Goa'uld crest--which showed two crossed arrows over a shield--to the unique engine configuration, everything about this Hat'tak was completely different to Jacob's eyes. Instead of fitting into a space platform, like the standard Ha'tak, this pyramid-shaped vessel had its hyperspace engines built right into the base, which propelled it from the bottom like a rocket.

'This is the result of a branch of the Goa'uld who have evolved off on their own over the centuries,' Jacob thought. 'Her Lord Empress Neith and her followers, who were defeated in battle ages ago by none other than Ra himself. Ra should have made sure they were completely vanquished.'

When Jacob first received this assignment, he had at first been highly skeptical of the reports of a new Goa'ald empire. He had heard that Neith had been killed by SG-1--the team that counted his daughter, Samantha, as among its members. Usually when that happened, when a Goa'uld was killed, his/her followers always scattered. Killing the lead Goa'uld was like cutting off the head of a snake, the body simply withered and died.

But, according to the reports, that wasn't happening this time.

Jacob had taken up position in orbit of Kelora in his teltac, which was fully cloaked. It had been his plan to wait and see if another ship from Neith's little empire came looking to see what had happened to their empress. And Jacob's hunch had paid off handsomely when this ship had showed up. It didn't hang out for very long--apparently the wreckage of Neith's ship in orbit of the planet was evidence enough for them that she was dead--before it jumped back into hyperspace.

And Jacob had tagged along.

Following another ship through hyperspace was tricky. It wasn't so much that you actually followed the ship, but that you were swept up along with it and pulled by it through hyperspace. Normally, Jacob would have easily been spotted, but thanks to the cloaking ability of his teltac, he might as well have been a ghost.

And as he sat for the past few hours, looking over the ship design of this new enemy, Jacob could feel a growing sense of dread build within him. Until he realized that the build up of dread actually wasn't within _him_, per se.

It was Selmak.

Jacob closed his eyes and mentally sought out the 2000 year old symbiote who resided within his skull. 'What is it, old friend? What's wrong?'

'The children of Neith,' Selmak replied. His voice in Jacob's head always sounded like a gentle whisper. 'They will be just as much of a threat to all of us as Ra once was.'

'But how can they?' Jacob asked. 'For once they realized their Lord Empress is dead, they shall break apart--just like the Jaffa of Ra, Hathor, Cronus and the many other Goa'uld who have been killed have done.'

'You can not deny, by the very sight of that ship before you, that the Netian Empire is vastly different than that of other Goa'uld,' Selmak countered. 'And it is never a good thing to underestimate your enemy.'

Before Jacob could reply, there was a steady beeping noise from his console. It was the proximity alert. The Ha'tak was coming closer to them, which meant that they were slowing, getting ready to emerge from hyperspace.

Jacob quickly and expertly slowed the teltac so that it stayed in pace with the Goa'uld vessel. Once the larger ship jumped into normal space, the teltac did so as well.

"Perfect," Jacob said, smiling. "They never knew we were--"

Jacob's smile instantly vanished when he saw the entire Ha'tak briefly glow as brilliantly as the sun. The flash was gone within an instant, but Jacob grew apprehensive at the sight of an energy wave that shot out from all directions of the Ha'tak. The wave spread out from the Ha'tak in a steady pattern--

--and a large chunk of it was headed straight for his teltac.

"Damn it," Jacob muttered, as he urgently tried to move his ship out of range of the energy wave.

'What was I just saying about underestimating your enemy?' Selmak's voice whispered.

"Ok, ok, you were right," Jacob frantically replied. He had turned the teltac away from the approaching energy wave and was about to put it into full burn. "Happy, now?! Just let me get--"

Jacob was helplessly thrown against the console as his teltac was violently rattled from the energy wave impacting against it. A panel blew out from the wall behind him, shooting sparks and smoke all over. The flashing lights on the console informed Jacob that the hyperspace drive was down, and that he was also in trouble of losing his cloak.

"Wonderful," Jacob grimly muttered. "When it rains, it pours….."

**SG-1: SVU**

"What is it?" Lord Battlemaster Amun said, as he strode over to the panel.

Pal'tee bowed. "My Lord. We launched the seeker energy wave as soon as we emerged from hyperspace, as per standard procedure. And we found something." He pointed at a section of the screen. "There."

Amun saw a section of the wave had crumpled up against something that was invisible. "A cloaked ship?"

Pal'tee nodded. "Most likely."

Amun tapped the section of the screen where the wave had crumpled up. "Send two squadrons of gliders to this position. Whoever was following us, I want them brought before me, alive."

Pal'tee crossed his arms before his chest in the standard salute of the Netian Empire. "Consider it done, my Lord Battlemaster."

**SG-1: SVU**

Casey suppressed a yawn as she rode the elevator down to the lobby of her building. 'Jeez, the day's barely started, and already I want a nap!' she thought with a weary shake of her head.

And it was going to be a long day in court, as well. Roland Dupree's attorney was trying every trick in the book to get his confession thrown out, which was a waste of time on his part--thanks to the mountain of evidence that Munch and Fin had collected against him. But just because something was a waste of time didn't mean Dupree's attorney still won't try, so Casey had to be on extra guard in court today.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the lobby, where Mike, Casey's doorman waited for her with a smile. "Good morning, Ms. Novak," he said, as he held the door open. "Looks like it's gonna be a fine day today."

"Morning, Mike," Casey replied, as she stepped through doorway. "Yeah, it does look nice. Just hope I can stay awake to enjoy it!"

"It's a nice day for a nap, too!" he added.

"Don't tempt me!" Casey called back.

On the sidewalk was a bickering young couple who were both fashionably dressed in the latest urban styles. The woman, a blonde, was pointing down the street, while her boyfriend angrily gestured in the opposite direction.

"Eighth Avenue is that way," he said.

"No, she said it was down here," the woman insisted. "We're going to be late for the appointment, Gary!"

But the man shook his head. "I know what I'm talking about, babe, it's down this way. Don't worry, we'll get to the doctor's in time."

Casey was about to walk past them, until she decided it would really be best to give them proper directions. They seemed like decent enough folk who were in a tight spot.

"Excuse me," Casey said, as she walked over to them. She pointed to her left. "Eighth Avenue is down this way."

"Really?" the man said, as he went behind Casey to get a better look at the street. "Could have sworn it was the other way."

"Oh, thank you so much!" the woman said gratefully to Casey. She walked over to her and held up a piece of paper. "This is the exact address we're looking for. Would you know where this is?"

Casey peered at the sheet of paper the woman gave her…and realized with a frown that it contained a paragraph of typed gibberish. "Wait, this isn't an address, it--"

Casey let out a scream, which was quickly muffled, as the man grabbed her from behind and placed a damp rag over her nose and mouth. As Casey struggled helplessly in the man's grip, the woman pulled out a cell phone, into which she said, "We got her. Let's move!"

**SG-1: SVU**

Mike looked on with horror as he watched the van pull up to the sidewalk. The man who had grabbed Casey Novak from behind now carried the unconscious woman into the van, which flung open its side door for them.

Mike had been a doorman at this building for almost twenty years, now, and he had never seen anything like this. He took a step towards them and said, "Wait one moment, what the hell do you think you're--?!"

Mike stopped short when the young blond woman pulled out a gun and pointed it right in his face. "Do yourself a big favor doorman," she said coldly, "and don't be a hero."

"We got her," the man called from inside the van. "C'mon, let's go!"

The woman backed up towards the van, still holding the gun at Mike. Then, once she got in, the door slammed shut and the van sped off with Casey Novak inside.

'Oh my God,' Mike thought, as he ran inside to call 911. 'I can't believe what just happened! Poor Ms. Novak, I hope she's ok!'

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

_I'd like to thank D.J. Scales and Ray1 for their kind words. _

_DJ: SG-3 was traditionally the Marine unit of SGC. Although in some episodes of Stargate, they changed this, I'm going by the book: Stargate: SG-1: The Ultimate Visual Guide, which gives a breakdown of all the SG teams and what their specific missions are. _

_Ray, regarding your prediction as to who kidnapped Casey...well, read on: :) _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Three**

Io'tan found her mistress on the high terrace that overlooked the ancient metropolis of Mount Tanis, which was lit up in the nighttime darkness. Clad only in a scant sleeping gown, Mut's blond hair was unbound--it flowed gently in the breeze as she thoughtfully scanned the buildings before her.

Io'tan came up from behind the High Priestess and placed a shawl over her bare shoulders. Mut turned and smiled thanks at her First Maiden.

"If you can not sleep, my High Priestess, I could get a cup of soyla juice for you," Io'tan offered.

"No thank you, my dear Io'tan," Mut said, as she gazed at the cityscape once more. "I can not sleep because of the excitement that I feel. For I now stand on the precipice of history. The Netian Empire shall finally be mine to rule."

"You believe Nacre?"

Mut nodded. "I have sent an alkesh to Kelora check out his story. They report that Neith's Ha'tak has indeed been destroyed."

Io'tan stared at her in puzzlement. "Forgive me, my High Priestess, but I thought you had sent Lord Battlemaster Amun to Kelora for the same mission."

Mut glanced back at her with a smile. "I did. And he has not yet returned--just as I had suspected he would. That was why I sent a separate ship, with a crew loyal to me, to send back word on the fate of Neith."

Io'tan became nervous at the thought of Amun turning against them. "How can we stand against the Lord Battlemaster, when he has so many--"

Mut raised a hand, which instantly hushed Io'tan.

"Amun can plot his takeover of the Netian Empire all he wishes," Mut said. "But, ultimately, he will not be a problem to us."

Io'tan almost asked how did she know this, but stopped herself. 'Mut is the High Priestess,' she told herself. 'It is her job to know that which is beyond the common knowledge of the rest of us.'

"You will be a marvelous Lord Empress, my Lady," Io'tan said with the utmost sincerity. "You will lead the Netian Empire to its greatest heights."

Mut merely smiled as she continued to gaze out with contentment over her newly inherited realm.

**SG-1: SVU**

Amun angrily strode back and forth on the peltac of his Ha'tak class ship. He knew his show of displeasure made the peltac crew nervous--as well it should. It had been a full half hour since they launched two squadrons of gliders to the position of the anomaly in the seeker energy wave--and so far, the pilots had reported not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

"If there was nothing out there," Amun asked himself, "then what caused the seeker wave to crumple up, as if it stuck an object?"

Pal'tee stared at him anxiously. "Are you asking me, my Lord Battlemaster?"

"No, I ask the gods why must I be saddled with fools for subordinates!" Amun roared. "Who knows what mischief Mut must have accomplished by now back on Tanis--while I, the rightful ruler of the Netian Empire, just sits here and twiddles my thumbs? Recall the glider squadrons, and get us back into hyperspace!"

Pal'tee nodded. "As you wish, my Lord Battlemaster."

Amun left the peltac and retired to his private quarters, where he found the slave whom he spent the night with. She presently knelt on the floor beside his bed, her head bowed down in complete and utter submission. "Welcome, my Lord Battlemaster," she said in the barest of whispers. "I hope I can make your stay a pleasant one."

'A much better attitude this time,' Amun thought, with an approving nod. The scant outfit she wore exposed her back, which showed several whip lash marks spread out across her skin. 'The slave wranglers really know their business. Good to see _somebody_ on this ship knows what they're doing.'

"Strip, and lay down on the bed," Amun ordered her. "I have had a bad day, and require relief."

"Yes, my Lord Battlemaster," the slave murmured, as she stood up and expertly removed her skimpy garment with just a flick of her fingers.

Amun turned away from her, to confer with his communication device. He had contacted several Ha'tak captains under his command--men whom he knew would be loyal to him--and had wanted to see if they had gotten word back to him yet. If Mut had rallied her forces, Amun would need more than one Ha'tak to retake Tanis.

But as he checked for messages, Amun never noticed the lingering look the slave gave him as she got onto the bed.

It was a look of cold, pure hatred.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Well, that was fun," Jacob said. He sat watching the Goa'uld gliders abruptly halt their search for him and head back towards the Ha'tak vessel. Although the cloaking device on his teltac still worked--albeit just barely--Jacob didn't want to take any chances, so he moved his small ship under the cover of an asteroid, one of many that orbited in a ring around a nearby planet. It was a great hiding spot, although it required some fancy piloting on Jacob's part when the asteroid began to shift suddenly.

This happened when the gliders, after not having found him, randomly opened fire into the asteroid ring--perhaps hoping to get Jacob by chance. It had been such an intensive waiting game that, once it finally ended, Jacob was surprised to see that only half an hour had went by--it felt to him like several hours had passed.

'How can you say that was fun?' Selmak muttered with disapproval. 'We were very nearly captured….'

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Selmak, Selmak," he said with a heavy sigh. "You should know by now that humans like to use sarcasm and humor to relieve tension."

'Humor is irrelevant,' Selmak proclaimed.

"You sound like a Borg when you say that." Jacob's relief only intensified when he saw the Ha'tak disappear into hyperspace. "They're finally gone…."

'And with them our only chance to discover the location of Mount Tanis,' Selmak lamented.

"Yeah, they're good," Jacob admitted.

'They are good?' Selmak asked, sounding puzzled.

"Stopping their ship in mid-flight to shake off anybody who might be following?" Jacob said. "Yes, Selmak, they're _very_ good. Ordinary Goa'uld aren't that thorough."

'I thought you were being humorous again,' Selmak replied.

Jacob dismally shook his head as he gazed at the damaged and sparking panels all over his ship. "Yeah, well, I'm gonna need a really good sense of humor in dealing with fixing the hyper drive…."

'What is a Borg?' Selmak suddenly wanted to know.

**SG-1: SVU**

'Oh, God, no,' Elliot Stabler thought, as he got out of his car and walked up to the front entrance of Casey's building. 'Not again, please…she just got back home….'

Elliot quickly sought out Captain Donald Cragen, his unit commander, in the crowd of police and CSU technicians.

"Cap!" Elliot called to him. "I got the call over the dispatch radio about a kidnapping at this address, and I was hoping that it wasn't--"

Elliot stopped short when Cragen just nodded his head grimly. "It _was _Casey. She was abducted right outside the front door of her apartment building. The doorman said he saw the whole thing." When one of the CSU techies gestured at him, Cragen added, "Excuse me, Elliot."

Elliot was about to go over with Cragen when he heard his name being called. He turned and saw Munch had walked up to him.

"Who was it?" Elliot asked. "Who grabbed her?"

"Doorman said it was a man and a woman who were arguing just outside the door about directions," Munch replied. "When Casey went to give them directions, they grabbed her and placed her inside a van that pulled up."

A flash of rage erupted within Elliot. "This doorman, was he on his break or something? Any reason why he didn't go to Casey's aid?"

"He says he tried to, but that the woman pulled a gun on him."

Elliot leaned close to Munch and whispered, "Are we dealing with a real woman here, John?"

"You're thinking Casey was kidnapped by a trannie?" Munch asked with confusion.

"No, damn it, John!" Elliot hissed. "I'm talking about what recently happened to Casey--why we went all the way to Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado; because she had been abducted by little green men from Venus, or whatever. _They're_ not back, are they?"

"Casey's abductors looked human," Munch told him. "But if you're asking me if they're aliens in disguise…."

"Wait, you've seen them?"

Munch gestured up at the security cameras. "Building surveillance system caught it. But don't get your hopes up. C'mon, I'll show you."

They entered the building and went into the security office behind the front counter. The doorman ran the security tape which showed Casey being kidnapped. Elliot helplessly watched as she walked up to a bickering couple and pointed down the street. The man immediately walked around in back of Casey, while the woman showed her a piece of paper.

"She's distracting Casey," Elliot said, as he pointed at the woman on the screen. "She's diverting Casey's attention from the guy behind her…."

"So he can do this," Munch said. He gestured at the screen.

Elliot felt his skin crawl as the man came up from behind Casey and placed a cloth rag over her face. Casey struggled, but it was no use. Seeing how quickly she succumbed, Elliot could only deduce that the rag which covered her nose and mouth was drenched in chloroform.

"They're pros," Elliot said softly, as he watched a now unconscious Casey being quickly hauled off screen. The very sight made him want to tear apart the security office in his rage and despair.

"That's for damn sure," Munch replied. "You notice how they both wore baseball caps, and made sure that their faces were turned away from the security cameras at all times?"

"Meaning they cased the joint ahead of time," Elliot said, with a nod. "But who? I mean, it's obvious that they're pros. But who hired them…and why?"

"What about the government?" Munch asked.

Elliot shook his head. "No, don't start with your conspiracies again John, please; we got--"

"Just listen to me," Munch firmly told him. "Out of all the Disappeared, Casey was the only one who made it back home so far, right?"

Elliot quickly pulled Munch out of the security office--and out of earshot of its personnel. Once they were alone in the hallway, Elliot said, "No, she wasn't. Olivia also came back."

"Yeah, but Liv's not _here_, back at her job, is she? She's gallivanting around God knows where with Captain Atom and his space rangers. Casey was the only one of the Disappeared to actually return to her normal life, right?"

"What are you driving at, John? That this abduction had something to do with Casey being grabbed by the aliens?"

"What else could it be?" Munch asked. "Isn't it too much of a coincidence for you that Casey gets abducted so soon after she returns home, by a team of professional abductors, no less? This has big leagues written all over it. And who's a major player in the big leagues? The U.S. government."

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, it's definitely way too much of a coincidence for me. But why would the government abduct Casey to begin with? I mean, they had her right where they wanted her in Cheyenne Mountain. Why let her go in the first place?"

"Elliot, the United States government is a vast and scary monster. And it's _so_ vast a monster, that oftentimes, one claw doesn't know what the other is doing."

"You mean rival agency crap, like back when the CIA and FBI were spying on each other?" Elliot had to admit that it made sense. At least it was a lead. "Maybe it's time to give Liv a call, see what she knows."

"That's assuming she's still on the planet," Munch muttered. He held up a hand when his cell phone rang. "Yeah, Munch. Fin?"

Elliot shook his head slightly at the very notion that Olivia might be out of touch because she was off world…literally. 'If somebody had told me just a week ago that we would have been dealing with this sort of stuff, I'd have laughed in his face,' Elliot thought.

"Yeah," Munch said into his cell. "Ok, Fin, hold on--we'll be right over."

After he closed his phone, Munch said, "Fin found the van that Casey was taken away in. It was abandoned in an old parking lot about a block south of here."

"Let's go," Elliot said.

The ride was brief--for once, mid-town traffic was blessedly light--and the crime scene was easy to find. Elliot pulled up alongside two other police cars that were parked on the sidewalk. When he got out with Munch, Elliot saw that the CSU team was being led by one of their finest: Captain Siper. He was glad to see her on the case--Casey deserved the best.

Fin Tutuola strode up to them, shaking his head. "She ain't here, and neither are the kidnappers. It looks like this was where the van was dumped. They probably switched rides here."

Elliot glanced around the neighborhood. There was a bodega on the corner across the street, along with a row of 'mom & pop' shops. "We need to set up a canvass; see if anybody saw something."

"I already got the unis doing that now," Fin said. "So far, nada…."

"Which would track with the type of people we're talking about," Munch said.

"What type of people is that?" Fin asked.

"Professional kidnappers who work for the government," Munch said.

"Aw man!" Fin shook his head. "Everything is the government with you, John!"

"He may have a point this time, Fin," Elliot said. "The government may well be involved."

Fin frowned at them. "Does this has to do with what the two of you were doing in Cheyenne Mountain? When you brought Casey back, but were unable to talk about it?"

Munch nodded. "This might be a repercussion from that."

Captain Siper walked over to them carrying something in a sealed plastic bag. "We found this inside the van."

Elliot took the bag from her and saw that it contained Casey's purse. "You find anything else?"

Siper shook her head in the negative. "No prints, no hair or fibers, nothing. It's almost like the perps were wearing hazmat suits, or something. Another thing: the van's vin numbers were removed with what looked like acid. Whoever's behind this, they certainly know how to cover their tracks."

"It's looking more and more like you're right, Munch," Elliot said, as he took out his cell phone. "It's a government agency behind this."

"Try not to look so disappointed," Munch told Fin.

"Nah, it ain't about that," Fin said, shaking his head. "I just want Casey back, safe, is all."

Munch sighed heavily. "As do we all. Hey, Elliot, who're you calling? Cragen?"

"Not yet," Elliot replied. "I'm calling my inside girl, who's working with Captain Atom and his space rangers: Olivia."

**SG-1: SVU**

'Impressive,' Olivia thought, as she came out of the rest room and strode through the cabin of the jet. She and SG-1 were aboard the spacious Air Force passenger plane which presently sped east, towards New York City.

'I could get used to traveling in style like this,' she thought. 'Although nothing really beats going through the stargate.'

Olivia smiled as she walked past Sam, who sat chatting with Jack. When Sam glanced up at her, Olivia just gave her a wink, along with the thumbs up gesture, as she went past.

Sam stared up at her in puzzlement.

But Olivia kept going, not wanting to disturb the private moment between the two potential lovebirds--God knew they rarely had a quiet moment together. As Olivia took a seat in the rear of the plane--all the better so she could spy on how Sam was doing with Jack--she noticed Teal'c sat in his chair with his eyes closed, in a state of meditation, which he referred to as kelno'reem.

Hailey and Satterfield were back at Stargate Command. Satterfield was busy looking through Daniel's books and reference material in his office for any other mention of Mount Tanis, while Hailey stayed behind to help Doctors Fraiser and McKay with their puzzle of how to deal with the Goa'uld stasis tubes.

Olivia smiled at the memory of Jack making Hailey swear to him that she would not attack or harm the insufferable McKay in any way. Jenny actually held her right hand up when she swore--but kept her left one hidden behind her back.

"Uh, wait," Jack had said, as he pointed at her other hand. "Your fingers had better not be crossed back there…."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jenny had kept her left hand in full view while she once again held up her right hand and recited the promise O'Neill made her say, which was that she would "play nice" with Dr. McKay--without injuring or killing him in any way, shape or form.

When Olivia saw Sam absently reach over and fix the collar on Jack's civilian jacket, she smiled in approval. 'Nice move, Sam!'

Daniel, who had sat off by himself, reading, abruptly got up and sat down right next to Olivia.

"Hiya," he said cheerily. "So, what are we watching?"

Olivia stared at him, dumbfounded. "Huh? What?"

"You know, I have a good friend," Daniel began, in that same light tone of voice, "she studies the mating habits of gorillas in Africa. And, whenever she's watching the gorillas during mating season, she gets this intensely fascinated look on her face--which is the very same look that _you've_ had while watching Jack and Sam just now."

Olivia felt her face grow red with embarrassment. She had been caught in the act, and didn't know what to say for herself.

Daniel leaned over, giving Olivia a nudge in her shoulder, and said, "What are you, some kind of a matchmaker here? You trying to set up Jack and Sam?"

Olivia couldn't help but laugh at that. "Um, no…I'm just…oh well, all right, I'm busted."

"Ah-ha, I thought so," Daniel said with a nod. He was smiling broadly as he glanced at his watch. "So, we should be landing at JFK within the hour. Looks like it'll be a big homecoming for the both of us, huh?"

Olivia stared at him in shock. "You're from New York City, too?"

He nodded. "Born and raised. I lived there until I was eight. Uh, my parents were both killed in an accident while setting up a temple exhibit at the New York Museum Of Art."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Olivia said.

"Yeah, thanks. It was rough," he admitted. "But before then, New York City was pretty much my playground. I remember this candy store, about a block away from the museum--"

"Cranston's?" Olivia asked with a gasp.

Daniel stared at her, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "You've been there?!"

"Are you kidding?" Olivia exclaimed. "I loved that place! They had all the best candy, right up in the front--"

"--right in the front of the store, just at eye level for a kid, right?" Daniel finished. "Yeah!"  
"YES!" Olivia said, laughing. "Oh my God, I nearly cracked my teeth on some of the stuff they had there!"

"Remember the jawbreakers?!"

"OH GOD, YES!"

**SG-1: SVU**

Sam sat with a smile as the conversation behind her grew louder and more ribald. Her smile turned into a broad grin as she glanced over at Jack, who also listened with fascination to Olivia and Daniel as they sat reminiscing over the things they did in New York City as kids.

"Good God, Daniel," Olivia abruptly exclaimed. "Do you realize that we could have passed each other on the street as kids and never known it?!"

"I know," Daniel replied, sounding amazed. "Small world, huh?"

"It's too small!" O'Neill said, as he glanced at them over the back of his seat. "You guys are having _way_ too much fun back there!"

'Oh, God, Jack,' Sam thought, embarrassed, as she placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose. She truly loved the guy, and literally trusted him with her life, yet Jack always had a very special talent for saying the wrong thing at the absolute worst time.

"What?" Daniel called back to him. "What's eating you?!"

"Your racket is disturbing Teal'c, who's trying to get some rest right now," O'Neill said.

"They are not disturbing me, O'Neill," Teal'c quickly stated, as he sat with his eyes still closed. "In fact, I find their laughter to be quite soothing."

A cell phone rang, and when Olivia answered it, she said, "Elliot?!"

"Oh, darn it," Sam muttered, annoyed. Just when Liv and Daniel were starting to form a bond, Liv has to get a call from--of all people--her old flame, Elliot, whom she had just gotten over. "Talk about bad timing…."

"What?!" O'Neill asked, with a puzzled expression. "What's bad timing, Carter?"

But before Sam could answer, both she and Jack suddenly glanced back at Olivia when they heard her say: "Yes, Elliot. I'm fine. Yes, _yes_, sweetie, relax! I'm perfectly all right, I swear! Why wouldn't I be?"

Sam watched as Olivia's eyes grew wide as she listened on her cell. "Oh my God…."

"What is it?" Daniel asked her.

"El, hold on." Olivia put down the phone and glanced up at Daniel and the rest of SG-1. "Casey's been kidnapped."

"What?" Jack asked, as he and Sam immediately got up and went over to where Olivia sat next to Daniel. Sam noted that Teal'c was now fully awake and had joined them. "By who?"

"You have any idea who did it?" Olivia asked Elliot on the cell. She shook her head. "No ransom yet. The abduction was caught on surveillance camera, but the abductors managed to hide their faces. Elliot thinks they were pros. Casey was attacked from behind with chloroform, then taken away in a van--which was later dumped."

"They _do _sound like pros," O'Neill said with a grim nod. "NID."

Daniel gave him a concerned look. "Why do you think it's them?"

"We've got one, Woolsey, running the Awakening Project back at the base," O'Neill told him. "And I'm willing to bet it was Woolsey who sent the heads up to his buddies that Casey was back home."

"Uh, wait," Olivia said, puzzled. "Who, or what, are the NID?"

"Not over the phone, Liv," O'Neill told her. "We'll tell them everything they'll need to know in person."

"Ok, Elliot, listen: we're coming to New York right now, right. Yeah. No, I'd rather not speak over the phone, if you know what I mean. Right."

As Olivia spoke on the cell, Sam asked, "What reason would the NID have to abduct Casey?"

"Because they can," O'Neill replied, annoyed. "Does the damned NID need a reason to do anything?"

"Yeah, they've always acted like they belong to a completely separate government," Daniel said, as he stood with them. "But, Woolsey seems like a pretty decent guy…at least so far."

"People with the NID always start out as being decent," O'Neill said with disgust. "Until they bare their fangs…."

Olivia closed her cell phone. "Ok, I told Elliot we'll meet him at the precinct house within a couple of hours. Now, could somebody please tell me who the NID are?"

As Jack began to explain, Sam sadly shook her head at the disturbing thought of Casey being in the clutches of the NID. 'Poor girl, I hope she's all right….'

**SG-1: SVU**

When Casey awoke, she found herself lying on a hospital-type stretcher in a small room that was bare of any other furniture. At first she thought she was in the hospital, having suffered some kind of a fit or fainting spell--she remembered speaking to a nice couple who….

'No, the guy grabbed me from behind!' Casey fearfully thought, as it all came rushing back to her. 'I didn't faint, he smothered me with something! Was it chloroform?'

When Casey tried to sit up, she anxiously realized that her wrists and ankles were secured to the sides of the stretcher via medical restraints. Her clothes were gone; replaced by a soft cotton outfit that looked like the blue surgical scrubs that doctors wore, and her feet were bare.

"Hello?" Casey nervously called. "Is anybody there?"

'What the hell happened?' Casey thought. For a scary moment, she wondered if she had actually been committed to a mental hospital. What if everything she had experienced the past few days--being abducted by aliens, and rescued by SG-1--had all occurred in her mind? What if she had suffered some kind of complete break with reality, and had finally woken up now--on this stretcher--only after the anti-psychotic drugs her doctors had prescribed had taken effect?

But there was something wrong with that theory--namely the fact that Casey, in her job as an assistant district attorney, had been in mental hospitals many times before; usually to help assess whether a perp was mentally fit to stand trial. And the room she was presently in was very dingy looking, with dirty walls and cracked plaster. This place didn't strike her as being anywhere inside a mental hospital.

Which raised an even scarier thought: that Casey _had_ been abducted by that couple on the street--and they brought her here, stripped her of her clothing, dressed her in these surgical scrubs and then tied her down to this stretcher. And if that were the case, then it might be a good idea if she didn't call out for help after all.

'But why?' Casey frantically thought. 'Who kidnapped me, and why did--?'

She was startled from her thought when the door at the opposite end of the room abruptly swung open, and two men dressed in white lab coats entered the room. One of them stared at Casey as if she were nothing more than a lab rat as he raised a recorder to his mouth and said, "Test subject is awake at eleven hundred hours."

The other man slipped a stethoscope under the v-neck collar of Casey's surgical shirt and listened to her heartbeat. It felt cold against her skin.

"Who are you?" Casey demanded. "Why are you--?"

"Be quiet please," the man with the stethoscope told her.

"What are you doing to me?" Casey said, louder. "Where am I? What--?"

The other man came over and held a large, very sharp needle in front of Casey's wide, terrified eyes.

"You want me to stick you with this?!" he asked, his voice harsh.

Casey quickly shook her head. "N-No…."

"Then shut up!" the man shouted at her. Then he glanced at his comrade. "Go ahead."

The other man proceeded to check Casey's chest under her shirt with the stethoscope, then he gave the other man a nod. "Sounds very good."

"Then we can proceed with the experimentation," the man with the needle said. "Excellent. The boss is already impatient for results."

"Who are you?!" Casey screamed at them. "What do you want with me?!"

"You were abducted by the Goa'uld," the man who had the stethoscope said. "You came back alive, and now we're going to cut you open and examine your internal organs and your brain. Ok?"

"Oh jeez," the other man said, with a broad grin. "That's cold!"

"What difference does it make?" the man with the stethoscope said, as they both left the room. "She's going to be dead in a few hours, anyway."

Casey stared after them with horror, as what they said sunk into her terrified mind. She tried in a wild panic to get free of the restraints, but it was to no avail. And so Casey did the only thing she could in this dire situation.

She lay her head back and started to cry.

**SG-1: SVU**

Olivia felt like she had come home again as she rode up in the elevator in the One Six. Technically, she wasn't really back at her old job; her mission with SG-1 was still ongoing. But she had no idea that she would actually miss being in the halls of the One Six precinct as much as she did right now.

Daniel, Jack and Sam surrounded her in the elevator. Olivia glanced over at Teal'c, who wore a pullover hat to hide the Jaffa tattoo on his forehead, and something occurred to her. "Wait a minute, how am I going to introduce you to people, Teal'c?"

"My undercover name is Murray," Teal'c told her.

Olivia stared at him in disbelief. "Murray?"

Teal'c nodded serenely. "O'Neill gave me that name."

"Oh, yeah, that figures," Olivia muttered, as she rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me?" O'Neill said, sounding offended.

The elevator doors opened just then, stifling the argument that was to follow. Olivia led SG-1 into the SVU bullpen, which was alive with the sounds of ringing telephones, and people shouting back and forth at each other. Olivia was pleased to see that Cragen didn't give her desk away. Once she saw Elliot at his desk, Olivia strode up to him and said, "Hello, Elliot."

Elliot smiled as he stood up and gave Olivia a welcoming hug. "Good to see you again, Liv. Have Captain Atom and his space rangers been taking good care of you?"

"Uh, that's Colonel Atom to you," O'Neill said smoothly.

Elliot chuckled as he shook hands with O'Neill. "Colonel Atom it is! Seriously, Colonel, it's good seeing you again, as well."

"Likewise," O'Neill said. "You remember Major Samantha Carter?"

"Yes, of course, hello again, Major," Elliot told her.

O'Neill gestured at Daniel. "This is Doctor Daniel Jackson, and the big guy is Murray. They're also a part of my team."

Elliot nodded to Fin. "That's Detective Tutuola. And--oh, and here comes Munch."

"Oh, God, no," Sam whispered dismally, as she placed a hand over her eyes. "Not him again…."

"Well, well," Munch said, as he came over to the group, "if it isn't the men--and woman--in black…."

"Detective Munch," O'Neill said with a smile. "Good to see you again. Hope you're still fighting the good fight."

"It's not much of a fight when the other side doesn't even fight fair," Munch said. "You ever try looking up information on Deep Space Telemetry? It's like trying to break into Fort Knox! Hello, Major Carter," Munch added, when he saw Sam, "have you threatened anybody with bodily harm lately?"

"Haven't even thought about it," Sam shot back. "At least not until you walked in through the door…."

"Whoa, whoa," Fin gently said, as he stood in front of Munch, "easy John, easy--they're on our side, remember?"

Olivia was about to go and calm Sam down, until she saw Jack had already done so by discretely placing a hand on her shoulder and gently massaging her as he whispered something in her ear.

Sam nodded as she let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry, sir."

"Forget it," he said. "Let just move on, shall we?"

"Yes, great idea," Olivia said. "The focus here is getting Casey back safe and sound."

"Agreed," Elliot chimed in. "Let's save the animosity for the sons of bitches who grabbed her."

"Any leads?" Olivia asked him.

Elliot shook his head. "Since they dumped the van, the kidnappers, and Casey, appeared to have vanished into thin air."

"The area where they dumped the van had no CCTV," Fin added.

"Never thought the day would come where I'd be actually hoping for surveillance cameras," Munch said.

"Colonel O'Neill thinks that a rogue government group called the NID might be behind this," Olivia said. "He's dealt with these guys before."

"The NID?!" Munch exclaimed, looking stunned.

"Let me guess," Fin said sarcastically, "_you've_ heard of them, right?"

"Yes, but--" Munch shook his head.

"But what?" Elliot prompted.

"They're not supposed to be real," Munch told them. "I mean, just like the Illuminati, the NID is just another urban legend for conspiracy buffs: the big, bad covert group that operates without restriction, completely outside the law."

O'Neill nodded. "Yep, that's the NID whom we know and love."

"Why would a group like this want to abduct Casey?" Fin asked.

"We don't actually know," Sam told him. "But they've been known to perform experiments on people."

"Oh God," Elliot muttered, with a fearful expression. "If that's the case, we've got to hustle, because the longer Casey's in their grasp--"

"Her life is in dreadful danger, Detective Stabler," Sam solemnly said.

"These people are completely ruthless bastards," O'Neill added. "They operate without any regard for human life whatsoever."

Olivia glanced at Elliot. "Cragen really needs to be hearing this."

"Yeah," Elliot replied, as he started walking over to the Captain's office. "I'll get him. He can help us figure out what our next move is."

**SG-1: SVU**

'What is wrong?' Pal'tee wondered.

The peltac commander did everything he was instructed to by Amun. Pal'tee had earlier been given new orders by the Lord Battlemaster: to break off from their present heading and to come here, in the orbit of a backwater world, where they would meet up with several Ha'taks whose commanders were loyal to Amun. And then their mighty fleet of would all converge on Mount Tanis, and wrest control of it from Mut.

They had arrived quite some time ago, and Pal'tee gazed at the view screen, which displayed a mighty force of ships, all of whom had sworn alligence to Amun. Pal'tee then contacted his Lord Battlemaster, and informed him of their arrival at the rendezvous point.

Yet, oddly, there had been no reply from Amun.

Pal'tee only assumed that the Lord Battlemaster had been busy with his concubine--yet he should have still heard Pal'tee's message, and had joined them on the peltac once he was ready.

Several of the peltac commanders from the other Ha'taks had contacted Pal'tee, wondering where their Lord Battlemaster was, and after several more minutes of continued silence from Amun's quarters, Pal'tee began to wonder the same thing.

He ordered two of the armed Jaffa to accompany him as he strode off the peltac. When they arrived outside Amun's quarters, Pal'tee once more tried to call his Lord Battlemaster.

And once again, there was no answer.

Pal'tee reluctantly punched in the override code, which allowed him access to the entire ship. As he entered Amun's private quarters, Pal'tee braced himself for walking into an embarrassing sex scene between the Lord Battlemaster and his slave.

But what he saw instead shocked him beyond all belief.

Amun lay face down on the blood-splattered bed, completely lifeless, a knife sticking out of his back. The concubine stood over him with a defiant glare as she shouted, "Long live Her Lord Empress Mut! The true and worthy ruler of the Netian Empire!"

In response to this offensive scene, the Jaffa guards took it upon themselves to shoot the woman dead with their staff weapons.

But Pal'tee hardly noticed this abrupt act of violence. A major power play had been performed right here on his ship, and he was helpless to stop or even influence it. Pal'tee, now in total control of the Ha'tak vessel, did the only thing he could think of: he ran back to the peltac.

There awaited something even more scary: a live communication from Mut, whose delicate features took up the entire view screen on the peltac.

"To all Ha'tak commanders in Amun's renegade fleet," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Your Lord Battlemaster Amun is dead. I hereby assume control of the Netian Empire as its rightful Lord Empress."

Pal'tee began to properly bow to his new ruler, until he heard her say, "If you wish to prove your loyalty to me, then you will open fire on the Ha'tak of the former Lord Battlemaster Amun. Destroy it, and its blasphemous crew, and you may begin your new life as my humble servants."

Alarms began to sound throughout Pal'tee's Ha'tak as it rattled under the withering fire that came from the ships which surrounded it. The very same renegade commanders who had previously sworn allegiance to Amun were now intent on obliterating his vessel to prove their loyalty to their new Lord Empress.

Pal'tee wanted nothing more than to try and explain that he and his crew were merely following orders. But he realized that would be a waste of time. Her Lord Empress Mut was bent on sweeping away all possible resistence to her power.

Including Pal'tee and his Ha'tak.

**SG-1: SVU**

'Never should have let her out of our sight,' O'Neill glumly thought. He was on the street, about a block down from the precinct house, headed towards the car with Carter, Olivia and Detective Stabler. They were on their way over to the crime scene, where Casey was abducted, in an effort to see if they could pick up any clues that might have been missed previously.

O'Neill knew it was a long shot, but there was nothing better they could do; they had no further leads that pointed to where the NID took Casey.

Casey Novak. O'Neill remembered the woman's easy smile and pleasant demeanor. Despite the fact that she had been overwhelmed by her experience being abducted by Neith--and who could blame her?--Casey still proved herself to be one tough little cookie. She had saved Olivia's life when Neith attacked her with a ribbon device.

'And now she's in the hands of the damn NID,' O'Neill thought. He shook his head slightly. 'Nope, never should have let Casey out of our protection….'

While they stood waiting for Elliot to unlock the car, Carter leaned over and said, "Sir, are you all right?"

"It's not me whom you should be worrying about," O'Neill said softly. "It's Ms. Novak. She's the one in trouble."

"We're doing everything we can," Carter assured him.

"You did the right thing by letting Cragen run this," Olivia said. "The Special Victims Unit has a lot of experience in tracking down kidnap victims just in the nick of time."

"And you'll get the full backing of the SGC," O'Neill told her. "Whatever you need, just ask. I just hope it will be enough."

Olivia started to speak, when she suddenly stared past O'Neill's shoulder at something. "Who the hell's this guy?"

O'Neill turned around to see a man had walked up to them. He wore a full beard and had a twinkle in his eye as he said, "Hello Jack, long time no see. Major Carter! Good to see you came out of Adrian Conrad's lab in one piece."

O'Neill recognized the man immediately.

It was Harry Maybourne.

"You son of a bitch!" O'Neill snarled, as he pulled out his gun and stuck the muzzle right in Maybourne's face.

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

_I'd like to thank Barbarossa Rotbart, Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl, Ray1 and D.J. Scales for their kind feedback._

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Four**

'Curse them all,' Osiris thought, as she glowered in the command seat aboard her alkesh. They were once more in orbit above earth--which was the only place she could think of going after leaving Ionia.

After SG-1 had fled through the stargate, Osiris had seen fit to shoot several of the buildings in the market square, until she grew bored. As much fun as it was to watch the Ionians scatter like panicked ants underneath her ship, Osiris quickly realized that this was a waste of time. And so she ordered a return trip to earth. Since SG-1 presently searched for the location of Mount Tanis, the seat of power of the Netian Empire, Osiris figured it would be best to stay on their tail.

After all, earth had proved to be a lucky place for Osiris, since it was where she had first learned of the Asgard Slayer. When she first returned--armed with this alkesh and its meager crew--to finally seek vengeance on SG-1 and Daniel, Osiris had been surprised to find another alkesh already in orbit of earth. She had seen it briefly as it uncloaked long enough to drop a damaged teltac ship onto the surface of the planet. When she and her crew had captured the alkesh, just as it was leaving, Osiris learned from torturing the enemy crew that they belonged to the Netian Empire, and that Her Lord Empress Neith was armed with the Asgard Slayer.

Neith had just been overthrown by Osiris' very same enemy, SG-1--yet the Asgard Slayer remained out there, somewhere. Osiris never wanted anything as badly as she had wanted the Asgard Slayer--for once she was armed with it, everyone--including the system lords--would finally give her the respect that she deserved.

But there remained the problem of finding the damned thing.

She had monitored any and all communications that came out of Stargate Command, including the one which stated a small jet would take SG-1 to New York City. When she found the plane that carried SG-1 in mid-flight, it had been tempting for Osiris to simply shoot it down, thus ridding her of SG-1 in one broad stroke.

Yet she allowed the plane to continue on its journey, realizing that SG-1 must be headed to New York City for a very good reason--namely to find the Asgard Slayer. Perhaps this sprawling metropolis held a vital clue in the search. However, once the jet landed at the airport, Osiris and her crew had lost track of SG-1's location. Apparently they had underestimated just how vast a city New York was; it was easy to lose a group of people in its complex maze of overpopulated streets.

Her peltac commander bowed before her. "What shall we do, my Queen?"

"What else can we do, but hover over the city, under cloak, until we hear something," Osiris told him.

As he bowed and went to inform the crew, Osiris sat back in her seat and stared at the huge city below them. It was now just a waiting game--one to see what SG-1's next move would be. But Osiris was patient; as long as it meant becoming Queen of the known universe, she would wait above this city forever, if need be.

**SG-1: SVU**

"What the hell, Jack?!" Maybourne said, alarmed, as he stared down the barrel of the gun that O'Neill held right at his face.

"You shot me, Maybourne!" O'Neill said. "Now I'm going to return the favor."

"I didn't shoot you!" Maybourne cried.

Sam, who stood right next to O'Neill, gently gripped his arm. "Sir, wait…."

"Whoa, whoa," Elliot said, as he and Olivia both came over. "What's going on, here?"

"A little revenge," O'Neill replied. "Maybourne here shot me--"

"I did not shoot you, Jack!" Maybourne repeated. "I swear to God!"

"Oh, save me that bull!" O'Neill said. "You cut and ran on us in Adrian Conrad's lab!"  
"Yes, I did," Maybourne admitted. "But whatever happened to you after that, I had nothing to do with it because I was long gone!"

"Spare me, Maybourne!"

'He's really pissed, and understandably so,' Sam realized. 'Still, for his sake, this can't be allowed to continue….'

"Jack, stop it!" she said harshly.

That snapped him out of his rage long enough to glare at her. "You can't order me around, Major!"

"No, I can't, sir," she said evenly. "But it's still my duty to prevent my superior officer from doing something extremely stupid…sir. You're holding a gun on somebody in the middle of the street in New York City. Is Maybourne really worth throwing it all away like this?"

That did it. Sam was pleased to see the rage finally die out in Jack's eyes as he quickly lowered his gun.

"Thank you, Major Carter," Maybourne said with a great deal of relief. "You have no idea how--"

"Shut up," O'Neill told him. "Just because I'm not shooting you now doesn't mean I forgive you for shooting _me_ in the back. I guess you forgot that I was wearing a vest that day, huh?"

"For the last time, Jack," Maybourne said, growing impatient, "I did _not_ shoot you. I helped you to find Major Carter when Adrian Conrad abducted her, remember? Why would I turn on you like that after we had just been working together?"

"If you didn't shoot me, then who did?" O'Neill demanded.

"I don't know," Maybourne replied. "But I _do_ know where the NID is keeping Casey Novak."

**SG-1: SVU**

Colonel Frank Simmons eagerly unrolled the turkey sandwich from its wrapping and placed it down on the empty desk on top of a paper plate. He then twisted the cap off of the bottle of fruit juice and took a sip. Finding the drink to be satisfactory, Simmons then pried open the lid on the small container and tried some of the macaroni salad with his plastic fork. He nodded in contentment; the salad was quite good. He took a bite out of the sandwich and glanced at the small monitor that had been set up for him on the desk.

The monitor showed a live image feed of their captive, Casey Novak, as she lay on the stretcher. The woman had finally stopped crying and was now in the process of testing her bonds once again. She kept tugging at her wrists bonds, then she tried to pull her ankles free--all with a grim look of determination on her face that Simmons found to be completely adorable.

Novak didn't have a chance in hell of escaping--even if she somehow managed to free herself of her bonds, she would never get out of this building--but Simmons still couldn't help but admire her spunk. Judging from what he'd seen so far of Novak's courage, the New York City DA's office would lose a valuable champion once his lab boys got their hands on Novak--but even then, she would still be a champion, since the examination of her body would help to provide the human race with valuable information in their continuing fight against the Goa'uld.

When his cell phone rang, Simmons quickly answered it. "Yes?"

It was Icky. She was so named because her real name was Margaret Itckison, and she hated being called Maggie. Icky and her partner, Martin Wiles--affectionately known around the NID as "Sticky"--were the point team who grabbed Novak from her apartment building earlier today.

"Kinsey's on his way up to see you," Icky said, sounding bored. "He's pissed…."

That made Simmons chuckle. "Since when is the good senator _not_ angry, Icky?"

"Uh…yeah," Icky muttered, before she hung up the phone. When she wasn't on a mission, Icky could be a very low key person.

Simmons took a few more bites from his sandwich--which was very good; New York really did have the best delicatessens--as he enjoyed the further antics of Casey Novak's futile escape attempt on the video monitor.

When Senator Robert Kinsey entered the room, he wore a hat with an overcoat that had the collar pulled up around his face. Simmons thought he looked like a spy reject from Get Smart. "Greetings, Senator, what brings you all the way to the Big Apple?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kinsey snapped at him.

Simmons glanced down at his sandwich. "Having lunch?"

"Don't you sass me, you son of a bitch!" Kinsey did a double take when he saw Novak struggling on the monitor. "Oh my God! What have you _done_? Do you have any idea who she is?"

"Casey Novak, Assistant District Attorney in the City of New York," Simmons calmly responded. "She was also one of the Disappeared, having been abducted by Her Lord Empress Neith. And Ms. Novak is the only one of the Disappeared whom we have in our custody."

Kinsey removed his hat and coat and placed his hands on the opposite side of the desk. "Novak's also the ADA for an elite NYPD squad known as the Special Victims Unit. The NYPD SVU is legendary--in part because they have been known to make a great deal of trouble for people--regardless of how powerful or influential they might be."

Simmons put down his sandwich and regarded Kinsey with a curious gaze. "And why should the SVU frighten you, Senator? If memory serves, they specialize in sex crimes. Do you have a few nasty skeletons in your closet that you're afraid they may find?"

Kinsey shook his head. "Nothing so prosaic. I've been using the Awakening Project as a means to finally wrest control of the Stargate from the military. But, thanks to _your_ little stunt, everybody's attention has become diverted to--"

"My little stunt?!" Simmons said, growing annoyed. "Senator, in the heavens above us are vast alien empires that have battled each other since humans were little more than cave dwellers. It's only because of a tenuous treaty with the Asgard that they haven't come down here to earth and swatted us away like flies. And here _you_ are, still playing your petty little political games--as if anybody really cares!"

"I'll have you know that, in my own way, I am also fighting for the survival of the human race," Kinsey said. "Once I gain control of the stargate program, I'll have it shut down. As soon as we're cut off from the rest of the universe, then we'll be safe from any alien incursion."

Simmons shook his head. "And just how naïve do you really think I am, Senator? Neith has made it very clear that the days of counting on the Asgard are over. She sought open warfare between them and the Goa'uld system lords by using earth as bait!"

"But she's dead now," Kinsey said.

"You still don't see it, do you, Senator? The genie has long since been released from the bottle. Shutting down the stargate program won't do a bit of good for anybody at this point. No, the time has come for us to properly arm ourselves any way we can!"

Kinsey gestured at the bound woman on the monitor. "Like this? By abducting young women off the streets of New York? It seems to me that you're the one who should probably fear the SVU, Colonel. You and your goons have acted like the very same criminals whom they normally pursue."

"An Army Corporal, one of the Disappeared, was released from his stasis tube by the SGC--only to suffer a deadly illness. It turns out the tube was booby trapped, and had deliberately made the man sick. Yet Ms. Novak was revived from her tube without suffering any ill effects at all. _That's_ why she's here, Senator, to find out if she has a natural defense to this Goa'uld threat."

"The SGC already has a team of scientific experts working on that problem," Kinsey said. "I'm told that they're very close to finding a solution."

"The NID doesn't require the assistance of the SGC, or anybody else, Senator," Simmons said smugly. "Whatever we need, we simply do it ourselves. We always find our own solutions."

Kinsey just gave him a long, hard look. "Yes, I know. And that's what scares me…."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Thanks again, Major Carter."

Sam glanced uneasily over at Maybourne. They both stood on the sidewalk with Olivia just outside the One Six precinct. When Maybourne informed O'Neill that he knew the exact location where the NID was holding Casey Novak, Olivia and Elliot had immediately wanted to go back and tell Cragen.

The problem was that, being a fugitive, Maybourne had no desire to enter a police station--which was a view that Olivia could actually understand. Still, O'Neill wasn't about to leave Maybourne alone on the sidewalk, so Sam and Olivia offered to remain behind with him, to make sure Maybourne didn't "disappear" once again.

For her part, Olivia felt very edgy; they now had a solid lead as to where Casey was--in a warehouse on the west side of Manhattan--and she wanted nothing more than to run over there right now by herself and save her friend. But a proper rescue still had to go through the proper channels, which included Cragen, and so Olivia had to impatiently wait.

Olivia gazed at Harry Maybourne, a former NID agent now in hiding from his ex-comrades, who looked a little dumpy in his dark blue jacket, open neck shirt and slacks--he had the appearance of an office worker on his lunch break, not a traitor who had made life miserable for SG-1 at every turn back in the day. Still, Olivia understood that Maybourne had redeemed himself once before when he helped Jack to rescue Sam from that Conrad guy's lab.

Olivia glanced furtively at Sam, amazed at the very thought that she had once been kidnapped. She never mentioned it to Olivia, and that was cool. But knowing that Sam had been in a situation like that, and survived it, only raised Olivia's already high opinion of her.

"I don't think you were the one who shot the Colonel," Sam said to Maybourne, after a long, thoughtful pause. "But if I had thought that it _was_ you, then I probably would have shot you myself."

Maybourne nodded nervously. "All the more reason I'm grateful to you, Major. I wouldn't have been able to even approach Jack without your help."

"Why _are_ you helping us Maybourne?" Sam asked. "What's in it for you?"

"Everything's changed, Major," Maybourne replied, with a wary glance at Olivia. "I've been told in no uncertain terms that something happened on your most recent mission that ultimately changed the status quo for all of us here…if you know what I mean."

"You mean Her Lord Empress Neith?" Sam asked. "She damn near started an intergalactic war, so I can see why some people may still be quaking in their boots."

Maybourne shot another uneasy look at Olivia. "Perhaps we should discuss this in private, Major…."

"Liv was right there with us, Maybourne. She's one of the Disappeared--until we rescued her on Kelora." Sam affectionately gazed at Olivia. "And good thing, too. Because she saved my life."

The look of shock on Maybourne's face made Olivia smile.

"Excuse me, Detective," he said. "I thought you were here just because of the kidnapping. I had no idea…."

"I _am_ here because of the kidnapping," Olivia told him. "Speaking of which, where did you get your information regarding Ms. Novak's location?"

"I have my sources," he said cryptically.

Olivia just nodded. She decided to press him on another issue. "You didn't exactly answer Major Carter's question. Why _are_ you helping us, here? Not that I don't appreciate your help--but, what are you expecting for it?"

"A trip through the stargate," Maybourne cheerfully replied. "Hopefully so I can start a new life on another world."

When both Sam and Olivia shared a stunned look, Maybourne grinned broadly as he added, "Hey, now that it looks like the Asgard treaty might have been swept away, earth is no longer a safe place for anybody these days. So I figure I might as well get out while I still can."

Olivia, totally offended by just being in this slime ball's presence, was about to let Maybourne know what she really thought of him--until Elliot and Jack emerged from the front doors of the precinct house. Fin, Munch, Daniel and Teal'c were with them.

"We're all meeting the ESU over there," Elliot said. "We're going in right now with vests…the works. Liv, Major Carter, and Maybourne, you'll ride with the Colonel and me."

"Call me Jack," O'Neill told him.

Elliot nodded. "All right, Jack." He gestured at Daniel and "Murray" and added, "You guys can ride with Munch and Fin. We all set? Ok, then, let's go!"

'Finally,' Olivia eagerly thought, as she began walking towards the car with the others. 'Just hang on, Casey--we're coming, honey!'

**SG-1: SVU**

"My name is Casey Novak."

"Shut up."

"Just listen to me," Casey pleaded with the man who wheeled her into the lab. He looked young, in his early twenties, and appeared to be uncomfortable dealing with her. "Please…just listen. My name is Casey Novak…I am a living, breathing human being, and I don't want to die. Just think about what you're about to do, please!"

"SHUT UP!"

Casey nodded slightly with satisfaction. By talking to him like this, by humanizing herself as much as possible, she was getting to the man. Casey sat up as much as the bonds on her stretcher would allow, and glanced around the lab. It was filled with various alien looking gadgets and technology, but more importantly, Casey saw that they were presently alone. If there was ever a moment for her to pull this off, this was it.

"Please, I don't want to die," Casey said to the man--who tried to busy himself at the table next to the stretcher that Casey lay on. "I've never done anything to you, personally, so please just--"

He turned around and waved his hand at her. "Lady, look…it's going to be all right. Y-You're just going to have some test done, that's all. I-It'll be fine."

Casey could tell just from the tone in his voice that even _he_ didn't believe what he had just told her. "That's not what the other man told me," she said. "He said I was going to be experimented on, and that I would be dead in a few hours. It's been a few hours since he told that to me, so I guess I don't have very long to live right now, huh?"

The man looked exasperated. "Lady…I don't know what you want from me…"

"Just untie one of my wrist bonds," Casey said quietly, "and walk out of the room for five minutes."

The man shook his head. "N-No, I can't…."

"I don't want to die!" Casey cried. "Please, _please_ help me. Just undo the strap on my wrist and walk out. I can handle the rest. If I get recaptured, I won't blame you, I swear. Just please help me…_please_…."

The man stared at her thoughtfully.

He took a step towards Casey and reached out with one hand.

Then he stopped and stared fearfully at something. "Colonel Simmons."

Casey glanced in the direction he stared in and saw a man in a suit standing there, shaking his head and waving his finger. "Tsk tsk, Bobby."

The man appeared sheepish. "Um, excuse me, sir. I gotta go get the--"

"Yes, Bobby, why don't you do that," Simmons said, as he walked over to Casey. Her eyes grew wide when she saw he held what looked like a gag in his hands. "And as for you…."

"No, wait, pl--" was all Casey could get out before he gagged her. As he tied off the gag in the back of her head, a helpless Casey was momentarily distracted by the sight of a large tank filled with water on the table.

And there was something swimming in it.

It was a large, snake-like creature with small wings near its head. For a spilt second it peered at Casey--almost as if it knew she were there--before it continued swimming around in a tight circle, like a predator waiting to strike.

"Oh don't worry," Simmons said to her. "Our little Goa'uld friend in there isn't for you. No, this is sort of a storage facility that we have, which contains goodies from all over--mostly stolen Goa'uld technology. You should consider yourself very lucky to be a part of this collection, Ms. Novak--or at least you _will _be, once we've properly dissected you."

Casey let out a muffled groan under the gag as she turned away from him.

Simmons smiled down at her. "Yes, I know, that can't be very--"

He was interrupted when a woman--the same woman whom Casey recognized as having helped kidnap her earlier--frantically appeared in the doorway. "We've got company, sir! It's the NYPD, in full force, knocking on the door!"

"Damn it," Simmons said. He pulled out a gun as he calmly walked over to the woman. "It's always something, isn't it, Icky?"

Casey was relieved to see them leave the room. She just wished she wasn't tied down to this damned stretcher! Still, the Calvary had arrived, so maybe it was just as well that Casey remained right where she was until a friendly face found her.

When she heard a splash, Casey glanced back over at the Goa'uld. It stopped swimming around and now floated in place within the tank of water. It stared hungrily right at her with its little beady black eyes.

'Oh jeez,' Casey thought, as a renewed panic arose within her. She stared longingly at the open doorway. 'I hope somebody finds me soon! C'mon, SVU; get me the hell out of here!'

**SG-1: SVU**

The Emergency Services Unit, clad all in black with helmets, smashed their way through the front doors and entered the building with their weapons drawn. Olivia, Elliot, O'Neill and Sam all followed. They were clad in bulletproof vests and had their own guns drawn. On the other side of the building, Munch, Fin, Teal'c and Daniel stood guard with the rest of the ESU, blocking any escape. They also stood guard over Maybourne, as well.

"Clear," the ESU team members started calling out, as they swept the vacant warehouse.

Olivia was frustrated that they didn't find anything--until she saw the steps that led up. She started running for them, until somebody grabbed her arm.

It was Elliot. "Let ESU go up first. It's their job."

Olivia anxiously waited as the heavily armed group ran up the steps ahead of her and Elliot. "C'mon, c'mon," she whispered, wishing they would just call the all clear already.

But instead of the all clear, Olivia froze when she heard gunfire.

**SG-1: SVU**

Casey was startled when she heard the gunfire come from just outside the doorway. One of the men who wore a white lab coat went running past the doorway, holding a gun. Then a second man--the same one who had sadistically taunted Casey earlier about how she would soon be dead--frantically entered the lab. He was unarmed.

He ducked against the wall when several of the NYPD ESU team members ran past the doorway, all giving chase to the first man with the gun.

When he saw the helpless Casey lying on the stretcher, the man's eyes grew wide behind his glasses.

"No witnesses," he muttered, as he came over and picked up a large scalpel.

Casey let out a horrified scream from under her gag as the man approached her with the scalpel raised over her chest.

**SG-1: SVU**

Elliot ran along behind the ESU members who gave chase to the guy with the gun--until something caught his eye off to the side.

It was a lab set up of some sort, with another guy in a white lab coat holding a knife over Casey, who lay helpessly bound on a stretcher.

Elliot pointed his gun at the man and shouted, "DROP IT, OR I DROP YOU!"

But when the man kept moving in to stab Casey--ignoring his warning--Elliot had no choice.

He pulled the trigger. His Glock barked twice. The man with the knife abruptly jerked violently as he fell back against a large tank of water, knocking it against the floor and shattering it. The water flooded all over.

Elliot quickly checked on the bound Casey, who appeared to be hysterical, but physically unharmed. Then he moved over to the perp, who lay twitching admist the shattered glass of the tank. He wanted to make sure the son of a bitch was truly down.

"You still alive, scumbag?" Elliot asked, as he carefully moved the twitching man over with his foot.

Elliot was stunned to see that the man was dead--both of his nine millimeter bullets struck him in the neck and head. But if he was dead, then why was he still twitching?

Then Elliot saw why.

The snake-like creature emerged from under the man's body and reared up at Elliot, flapping its wings at him.

It then leapt right at Elliot's face.

**SG-1: SVU**

'Still no joy,' Jacob thought wearily, as he finished his scan of the vast area of space surrounding his teltac ship. "Very well," he spoke aloud. "Let's try another spot."

As he jumped the teltac back into hyperspace, Jacob heard Selmak say, 'This is like looking for a horseshoe in a haystack….'

"You mean 'looking for a needle in a haystack,' and--yes--I agree with you," Jacob said. "But what choice do we have?"

'Go back home,' Selmak suggested.

Jacob nodded. Selmak had a point. Once Jacob got the hyper-drive engines fixed, he got the idea to go in the same basic direction he saw the Ha'tak vessel take off in. He would then jump out of hyperspace every thousand parsecs or so and do a sweep of the area around him with a long range scan, in the hopes of trying to find some trace evidence of where the Ha'tak might have gone. But Jacob had known going in that this idea would be a shot in the dark, at best.

The blinking light on his console indicted that another thousand parsecs have gone by, and Jacob pulled his ship out of hyperspace once more. "Tell you what, Selmak," he said. "Let's just do this one last sweep, and then we'll--WHOA!"

Jacob stared in amazement at the wild readings the long range scanners were giving him. There was a massive expulsion of energy in the orbit of one of the planets in this system, a seemingly unimportant planetoid that was out on the far reaches of the system. The readings were unmistakable, they looked just like--

'A space battle,' Selmak said for him. 'And a rather large one, at that.'

"Yeah, that it is," Jacob said, as he placed the teltac into full cloak and then piloted it in that direction. "Let's see who's winning."

**SG-1: SVU**

As his ship fell apart all around him, Pal'tee felt oddly at peace. He stood alone on the peltac, his hands bracing his body against the side of a console as the massive ship lurched and rumbled with every shot it took from the surrounding fleet. His peltac officers had all fled for the lifeboats, and Pal'tee had sent them off with his blessing while he remained behind.

It didn't really matter--for the lifeboats would be blasted out of existence the instant they left the ship. Yet if his officers still wanted to try their luck, even if it were nonexistent, then who was Pal'tee to deny them their last wish?

The face of Her Lord Empress Mut was still frozen on the view screen, glaring smugly at Pal'tee, as his peltac was being ripped apart by explosions.

"You shall fall one day," Pal'tee boldly told the image. He had no idea if she could hear him--and, at this point, he honestly couldn't care less. "For not even the universe is immortal…."

Pal'tee never knew what Mut's reaction was--or if she even had one--because, right at that instant, his ship erupted into a ball of fire.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Wow," Jacob said softly, as he watched the Ha'tak class vessel explode. For a brief second, it almost looked like a miniature sun. The surrounding fleet of Ha'tak ships--which all bore the same symbol of Neith's fleet, two arrows crossed over a shield--finally stopped their incessant barrage. "That ship, the one that was just destroyed, was that the same one we'd been following?"

'Hard to say,' Selmak said. 'Yet, thanks to your persistence, we now have another opportunity to find Mount Tanis.'

"That we do, old friend, that we do," Jacob murmured, as he watched the fleet of Ha'tak ships assemble into a standard convoy grouping for a mass jump into hyperspace. "Of course, we don't know for sure that these guys are headed for Mount Tanis. But, sometimes you've got to roll the hard six. Here we go!"

Jacob piloted the cloaked teltac right into the center of the convoy, which allowed his vessel to be swept along as the fleet of Ha'taks all jumped into hyperspace. Once again, he was tagging along for the ride…which was hopefully headed straight towards Mount Tanis.

'What does it mean to roll the hard six?' Selmak asked.

Jacob chuckled. "That's from a TV show called Battlestar Galactica. We watched some of it when we last visited Sam's house. Don't you remember?"

'Reprehensible….' Selmak said with disgust.

"Hold on," Jacob said, annoyed. "I thought you liked Sam!"

'On the contrary, I find your Samantha to be a very agreeable young woman,' Selmak replied. 'It is your taste in entertainment that I find reprehensible, Jacob.'

"Everybody's a critic," Jacob muttered, as he rechecked some calculations on his pilot console.

'I am not a critic,' Selmak said.

"You're right, Selmak. You're not. You're a grump."

'I am not a grump.'

"Yes, you are, Selmak."

'Jacob, _you_ are the grump….'

"Fine, Selmak," Jacob said with a smile. "Be that way."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Oh my God," Olivia cried, once she saw the sight before her.

It looked like a terrible scene from Dr. Frankenstein's lab in some twisted horror movie. A gagged Casey was retrained at the wrists and ankles on a stretcher in the middle of what looked like a makeshift surgical bay, while she was surrounded by an assortment of alien technological wonders. Elliot was bent over a perp, probably checking to see if he was still alive.

Olivia ran over to Casey and started untying her wrists. Sam got busy releasing Casey's ankles. As soon as Casey's hands were freed, she pulled off her gag and gave Olivia a tight hug.

"Ok, ok," Olivia said, as she soothed the still-crying woman. "It's ok, sweetie. You're ok, now. We got you; we got you, Casey."

Sam stood wiping away a tear. O'Neill leaned in and asked, "_You_ ok, Major?"

"Yeah," Sam said, with a brisk nod. She took a deep breath. "This just brings up an unpleasant memory for me, that's all, sir."

O'Neill nodded in understanding. Then he glanced over at the man on the floor. "Elliot, is that guy secure?"

"Uh, yeah," Elliot replied. He slowly stood up. He held an object in his hand. "He is dead."

"H-He was going to stab me," Casey said, getting a hold of herself. "But Elliot just--he was here in the knick of time!"

Olivia smiled at her. "That's Elliot for you. He's done the same thing for me countless times."

"Building now secure," a male voice announced over the police dispatch radio. "I say again: all clear."

"Get they get everybody?" Casey asked. "Including that Simmons guy?"

"Simmons?!" O'Neill said sharply. "Colonel Frank Simmons? He was here?"

"I didn't get his full name," Casey replied, as she wearily got off of the stretcher. "But one of the lab guys _did_ call him Colonel Simmons. He was the bastard who gagged me, just before a woman named Icky warned him that you were coming."

"That son of a bitch," O'Neill muttered, as he exchanged a stunned look with Sam. "Oh, I _hope_ we caught him! I've got a few questions for him myself…."

Casey held out her hands to Elliot. "Come here, my hero…."

"Watch the broken glass, Case," Olivia warned her, as she keyed her dispatch radio. "I'll get the medics up here for you."

As Elliot came over and embraced Casey, he still held his gun in one hand, and an opaque ball in the other.

Olivia, noting the ball, paused in making her call to the medics. "Hey, El, what's that in your hand?"

Elliot glanced over at her--

--and his eyes briefly illuminated as bright as fire.

Olivia was so stunned to see this that she just stood there, shocked. Everything appeared to move in slow motion as Elliot abruptly pulled Casey close to his body, using her as a shield. And with his other hand, he aimed his Glock right at Olivia's face.

Olivia was suddenly knocked down to the floor just as Elliot fired his gun. Now lying flat on her back, Olivia opened her eyes and saw Sam was lying on top of her. Both women flinched as gunfire erupted right above them.

"You all right?" Sam asked, still concerned for Olivia.

"Yeah," Olivia said, still stunned. "But Elliot's eyes, they just lit up like--"

"That's no longer Elliot," Sam said solemnly. "Sorry, Liv!"

"Son of a bitch!" O'Neill roared, once the gunfire had subsided. "Carter! Olivia! You two all right?!"

"Yes sir," Sam called, as she warily got to her feet and also helped up Olivia. "Is it clear?"

"Yeah! Bastard used Casey as a shield," O'Neill angrily said. "I couldn't even get a clear shot at him!"

"Where did they go?" Olivia asked.

O'Neill pointed. "Through that door, and he's got Casey as a hostage. I think it leads to the roof. Carter, he's also got a Goa'uld communicator!"

"What does he think he'll use that for?" Sam wondered aloud--as she, O'Neill, and Olivia all went through the door and up the flight of stairs. "Who can he call?"

**SG-1: SVU**

"My Queen!" the peltac commander called. "We have an emergency message from the surface!"

Osiris frowned. "From a Goa'uld communicator?"

The man nodded. "Yes, my Queen."

"Who is it?"

"It is an automated signal, my Queen. A standard emergency beacon, requesting assistance, launched from a Goa'uld communicator."

Osiris stared at the vast cityscape of Manhattan that was on the view screen. "From down there?"

"Yes, my Queen."

This was damned odd. To her knowledge, there were no other Goa'uld presently on earth. 'Perhaps this was more of Neith's people, working undercover?' Osiris wondered. 'If so, then we could torture the location of the Asgard Slayer out of them.'

"Very well, take us low over the city, directly over where the beacon is being broadcasted," Osiris ordered.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Building now secure," a male voice announced over the police dispatch radio. "I say again: all clear."

"I love it when a plan goes all right," Fin said, putting his dispatch radio away. "Don't you, Murray?"

Murray nodded his head sagely. "Indeed."

They leaned against the car they rode up in. Munch and Dr. Jackson sat inside the vehicle, keeping an eye on Maybourne. All around them were more ESU members, watching over the rear of the warehouse. So far, nobody had come their way, and now it looked like the show was over. Fin hoped Casey was all right.

"Hey, tell me something," Fin said. "Is Murray really your name?"

"Indeed it is, Odafin Tutuola," Murray said with a formal nod.

"Oh, naw, man!" Fin said with a broad grin. "You ain't got to be so formal with _me_, baby! Just call me by my handle, y'know?"

"Your handle?" Murray said questioningly.

"Yeah, it's just Fin, that's all."

"Fin?" Murray looked uncertain.

"Right," Fin said. "I gotta say, though, man--you really don't look like a 'Murray' to me."

Murray nodded thoughtfully. "I must say that you do not look like a fish appendage to me, as well."

Fin thought about that for a moment, then he burst into laughter. "Oh yeah! Guess I walked right into that one, huh, Murray?!"

"Indeed," Murray said with a smile--then his smile abruptly vanished when he looked up into the sky.

Fin glanced up, and his eyes flared with shock. "Oh, whoa…."

A massive, oval-shaped ship seemingly appeared out of the empty air right above the warehouse. It hovered over them, looking to Fin like a spaceship from a sci-fi film. The startled ESU members around them all instinctively dove for cover as Munch, Jackson and Maybourne got out of the car to stare up at the strange vessel in the sky.

"Uh…this can't be good," Jackson said to Murray.

"Indeed," Murray said grimly.

**SG-1: SVU**

'This can't be happening,' Olivia thought, as she ran up the last flight of steps with O'Neill and Sam. 'Please, God…don't let this happen….'

They burst onto the roof, being careful to check so that there was no ambush waiting for them--but instead of a Goa'uld-possessed Elliot, waiting to shoot at them, what Olivia actually saw was a hundred times worse.

Elliot stood in the center of the roof holding a struggling Casey against his chest, as a series of transporter rings fell down around them. They were then beamed up into the waiting alkesh that hovered over the warehouse, in full view of several million people.

Once the rings were back in the ship, the alkesh then veered off sharply, banking hard over the Hudson River as it appeared to vanish into thin air.

"Oh, no, no, no," Olivia said, her voice sounding very small, as she helplessly sank down to a kneeling position on the surface of the roof. "This can't be happening…."

Both O'Neill and Sam knelt down beside her. Sam sympathetically rubbed Olivia's neck and shoulder.

"Liv, look at me," O'Neill said gently. "We're not giving up on them, ok?"

"Yeah," Olivia said weakly. She felt very numb as she wiped away her tears using a tissue that Sam had given her.

"That looked like Osiris' alkesh, sir," Sam said.

"You recognize it?" Olivia asked, impressed.

Sam nodded. "The blast marks on the side are the exact same as the one that picked her up from Ionia. Unless there's another alkesh flying around with the very same battle damage…."

"Ok," O'Neill said. "Now that we know who took Elliot and Casey, let's all get back to Cheyenne Mountain, and start looking for them."

Olivia wasn't sure her legs could support her right now. But with the help of O'Neill and Sam, she was able to stand up again.

"You _can_ remove that thing from Elliot?" Olivia asked Sam. "Right?"

"The Tok'ra have a safe method of removing a Goa'uld from its host," she assured Olivia.

"But we've got to find them, first!" Olivia said with dismay. "Oh, God…."

"We're not going to find them by standing around here, Liv," O'Neill told her. "And so, the sooner we get moving--"

"--the sooner we find them," Olivia finished for him. "Fine, then let's get moving."

"Atta girl," O'Neill said with approval, as they briskly walked off the roof and back down the stairs.

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

_My thanks to Ray1, DJ Scales, _Piper-Jacko06-Butterflygirl and Barbarossa Rotbart for their kind words. Sorry for the delay, but I had to deal with some real world issues.

**Stargate: SVU**

**Chapter Five**

'It really has _not _been my day,' Casey thought.

She sat on the floor in what appeared to be a prison cell aboard the alien ship. Casey sat with her back up against the wall, and her knees pressed up to her chest. She was still barefoot, and clad only in the doctor's surgical scrubs that her previous captors had dressed her in. And now she had been captured _again_, but by somebody else this time--Goa'uld, from the looks of them.

'Out of the frying pan, and into the fire,' Casey glumly thought, as she gazed at her cellmate.

Elliot lay on his back on the floor, still unconscious. Once he and Casey had ringed aboard this ship, they found themselves standing face to face with a group of armed Jaffa, who immediately shot the both of them. Casey's last thought, just as everything faded to black, was that she was dead. But when she woke up here, Casey realized that she must have been shot by those Goa'uld guns that they called a Zat.

'The Goa'uld….' Casey wearily thought. 'Christ, it was just last night that I was struggling with bad dreams about them, and now they're back for real. Now I wish I only _had_ bad dreams to deal with!'

Elliot awoke with a start, and the fact that he was now awake set Casey further on edge. She still had no idea why he had turned on her like he did, or why he brought her to this terrible place--until she saw his eyes glow brilliantly for a few seconds.

"Oh my God, Elliot," Casey said, with a mixture of shock and sadness. She instantly recalled the Goa'uld snake creature in the tank of water in the lab where she had been held captive. The man who had tried to stab Casey had knocked over the tank when Elliot shot him. Somehow, the Goa'uld must have entered Elliot's body and took control of him.

"I am no longer Elliot," he said, his voice taking on a deeper, more alien tone. "I am Ke'tesh."

When he abruptly got to his feet, Casey did the same: she quickly moved away from him--yet there wasn't much room in the cell for her to hide. It was just a matter of time before Elliot caught her. And when he did, he was merciless. He grabbed Casey's arm and twisted it up behind her back.

Casey let out a cry of pain as Elliot pulled her back up against him. "Elliot, please, you're hurting me!"

"I am not Elliot," he told her. "My name is Ke'tesh. You shall do well to remember it, wench, for I shall not repeat it again. Tell me, does the Netian Empire rule your world? Do you serve Her Lord Empress Neith?"

Despite her pain, Casey's eyes shot open in amazement. "Neith? She's dead."

"LIAR!" Ke'tesh/Elliot roared, as he twisted Casey's arm even harder.

"I…am…not…LYING!" Casey said through clenched teeth. Her other arm was free, and she had reached behind her and grabbed Elliot's crotch.

Casey then squeezed.

_Hard_.

Now it was Ke'tesh/Elliot's turn to let out a cry of pain as he quickly shoved Casey away from him.

As soon as Casey hit the wall, she quickly turned around and braced herself for another attack. But it did not come, for the bars slid open, and one of the Jaffa who had shot them earlier entered, aiming his staff weapon right at Ke'tesh/Elliot.

"That will be quite enough from the both of you," a female voice said. It belonged to a beautiful blonde who was clad in a garish gold outfit. Casey's curiosity regarding whether or not she was a Goa'uld ended once she saw the woman's eyes glow unnaturally.

'Great, now I'm surrounded by them,' Casey sullenly thought, as she rubbed her injured arm.

"If there is any torture and killing to be done on this ship," the blonde said with an evil smile, "it shall be done by _me_."

"And you are?" Ke'tesh/Elliot asked.

"Osiris," she replied. With a glance at Casey, she added, "And she is correct: her Lord Empress Neith is dead, killed in battle."

"Impossible," Ke'tesh/Elliot muttered, sounding stunned.

"I take it you were in the service of Her Lord Empress?" Osiris asked.

"Yes. As are you?"

Osiris looked sad. "Alas, no. It is a long, regrettable story, Ke'tesh--one that started when Neith and her empire were defeated by Ra and vanquished from this part of the galaxy many centuries ago."

"I have noted the passage of time," Ke'tesh/Elliot said. "The Tauri have accumulated much technology during the time that I have slept. Does Ra now rule them?"

Osiris shook her head. "Even Ra has been vanquished…by the Tauri, no less. As I have said, it is a long story. But what of _your _story, Ke'tesh? How did you come to be on earth?"

"I was sent there on an undercover mission by my Lord Empress," he answered. "My mission was to spy on Ra, and gather intelligence on his forces on earth. But I was captured, and--once I was removed from my host--I was placed in a stasis jar for all time as punishment. I was recently awakened by the Tauri, who fight amongst themselves incessantly. It was during one such squabble that I saw my chance to escape, and here I am."

"You got hold of a Goa'uld communications device and called this ship," Osiris said. "How did you know we were here?"

"I didn't," Ken'tesh/Elliot replied. "I sent the emergency signal in the hopes that a Goa'uld ship might be nearby. I was very lucky."

"And very bold, as well," Osiris said with admiration.

"And, apparently, I am also now without an Empress to serve."

"That may not be the case," Osiris told him. "I understand that the Netian Empire still thrives even after Neith's death."

"If the fates are kind, then Amun should be the new ruler," Ke'tesh/Elliot said thoughtfully. "But if Mut takes command, then we are lost…."

"Is there any way of finding out?" Osiris asked, looking concerned. "Some way of calling, or--"

"If this ship is equipped with a hyper-drive, then we could go directly to the capital, Mount Tanis," Ke'tesh/Elliot told her. "I know how to get there. I could show you the way."

Osiris smiled broadly at him. "Really? That's very good."

'Oh my God, she's playing him!' Casey realized. She had seen people bluffing oftentimes enough in her job to recognize it anywhere. It looked as if Osiris was actually after the location Mount Tanis all along, and the Goa'uld that possessed Elliot played right into her hands.

After Osiris extended an invitation to Ke'tesh/Elliot to share dinner with her--to which the big dumb lug readily accepted--she then turned her attention on Casey. Osiris came over to Casey, who timidly backed up against the wall.

"And what do we have here?" Osiris said derisively, as she stared up and down at Casey. "A barefoot surgeon?"

"Her name is Casey Novak," Ke'tesh/Elliot offered. "She was a prisoner in the lab where I was also held captive. She is a prosecutor in the legal system of New York City. She knows nothing that's valuable to you. Get rid of her as you see fit."

Casey stared in horror at Elliot and briefly wondered how he could be so vicious to her like that. But then she realized that she was no longer truly dealing with Elliot. Casey recalled learning at the SGC about how the Goa'uld had the knowledge and memories of their host at their complete disposal. Casey felt heartsick when she thought about Stargate Command and its wonderful people. She wished she was there again. She wished she were anywhere but here.

"She knew Neith was dead, which was more than what _you_ knew, Ke'tesh," Osiris teased. She reached out and caressed the side of Casey's face. "Your skin is so pale, just like that of a delicate doll."

'Oh, Jesus,' Casey thought with repulsion. She fought the instinct to slap the woman's hand away, since fighting back would really not be in her best interest right now. She was vastly outnumbered here. As much as Casey hated to admit it, her life was now in the hands of these monsters.

"You shall be my personal slave," Osiris said with a nod.

The very notion of slavery was appalling to Casey--let alone being a slave to one of these beings. But she was trapped on an alien spaceship traveling God knows where, and if there was ever any hope of her getting back home to earth, then Casey knew that she would have to stay alive. And, in this dreadful situation, staying alive meant doing whatever it took. And so, with that thought in mind, Casey Novak did the only thing she could do.

She bowed humbly, and then said, "It would be my pleasure to serve you, Osiris."

**SG-1: SVU**

Jacob was pleased that the fleet of Ha'tak ships had taken him straight to Mount Tanis. In fact, it initially felt too good to be true, and he almost didn't believe it. But the planet was in the orbit of binary suns, just like the report from SG-1 stated. And Jacob received further confirmation after doing a quick flyover of the largest city on the surface, with his ship still cloaked. The city of Mount Tanis resided on a large, flat mountaintop that was raised high above the blazing desert. He supposed the land mass was really a plateau, but that was no matter. Right now, he needed to take a closer look.

He parked the teltac on the outskirts of the city, leaving the cloak on, and left the ship wearing a light colored cloak of his own. It had a hood, which came in handy should he need to hide his face.

Entering the city itself was not very hard, for there were no guards at the gates. This made sense, since the main threat would come from above, anyway. And judging from the large fleet of Ha'tak class ships that were parked in the vast deserts surrounding the city--as well as the equally large fleets of Ha'tak ships in orbit--Mount Tanis could handle any major threat with one hand behind its back.

Once inside the city proper, Jacob saw throngs of people, similarly clad in cloaks, all headed in one direction. Jacob always prided himself for not following the crowd, but this time he would make an exception. Pulling his hood over his head--both for shade from the suns, as well as to hide his face--Jacob stepped into the line and walked with the crowds to wherever they were headed.

As he walked, Jacob was amazed at the magnificent temples and other humongous buildings that stretched into the arid sky. Some of these buildings were so tall that death gliders, which were on constant patrol, actually flew in-between several of these structures.

'A vast, well-maintained infrastructure, in addition to their considerable military might,' Selmak commented. 'It appears the Netian Empire is here to stay.'

'Not if the Tok'ra can help it, old friend,' Jacob replied in thought. 'Remember: the bigger they are, the harder they fall.'

They came to a broad expanse of space which looked like a park--yet it was heavily guarded by an army of Jaffa and some of the largest staff cannons Jacob had ever seen. Then he saw the reason for all of the protection: a stargate stood in the center of the park.

Several dozen Jaffa quickly got into position in front of the silent gate, with their staff weapons pointed at the empty ring.

'They must be getting ready to receive somebody,' Jacob thought. 'This would be a great time to get the ring address.'

'Allow me, Jacob,' Selmak said.

Jacob nodded his head--and blacked out.

When Jacob regained consciousness, he found himself standing several yards away from the park, in the shadow of one of the temples.

'We were drawing attention from some of the Jaffa,' Selmak told him. 'So I moved us along with the crowd.'

'Good going. Did you get the gate address?'

'Yes. I have it memorized--what little good it will do us….'

Jacob frowned as he continued walking with the crowds. 'What do you mean?'

'You saw it for yourself, Jacob. That stargate is heavily fortified. There is no way that the Tok'ra, or even earth's SG teams, could use it to sneak onto this planet. They would be shot down the moment they stepped through the event horizon.'

'Yeah, you're right,' Jacob admitted. 'But, we're here to collect as much information as we can. So, having the gate address can't hurt. It should help the SGC to at least locate Mount Tanis. We'll probably have to shuttle SG-1 here in the teltac, anyway--uh-oh….'

Jacob had noticed the crowds were all being herded into the largest of the temples on Mount Tanis. 'Something's up,' Jacob thought, 'something big.'

'You _did_ say we were here to collect information,' Selmak reminded him.

'Right,' Jacob thought, as he continued walking with the throng into the temple. 'Might as well see what all the fuss is about….'

Whatever was happening in the main temple, it was a big event. It looked as if the entire population of Mount Tanis were being herded into the main entrance. Jaffa guards wearing serpent helmets and golden armor rode through the crowds on animals that could only be described as dinosaurs--raptors, to be more precise. Each raptor was the size of a horse, complete with a saddle, and--combined with its Jaffa rider--was an intimidating security force whose very presence guaranteed obedience from the crowds.

One of these raptors snarled abruptly at Jacob as he passed too close. He hurried along with the rest of the crowd, until he found himself pressed up against a stone railing that overlooked a vast stage about a story below him. The wall in back of the stage contained a massive golden relief that showed two arrows crossed over a shield. A group of scantily-clad young women were all bowed down in prostrate positions, facing inward, at the stage itself.

The crowds around Jacob began to quiet down when they all heard the high-pitched voices of an angelic chorus. A pair of enormous curtains on either side of the relief were abruptly swepted aside, revealing the chorus of singers, who were clad in robes as they stood on balconies that tilted back, like the stepped-shaped walls of a Mayan temple. They all sang their song in Goa'uld, repeating one verse over and over.

'Prepare to meet your new Lord Empress,' Selmak translated for Jacob.

'And here she comes,' Jacob thought.

The lone figure was a blonde woman who strode to the center of the stage, completely nude. She stood with her arms outstretched, and once she did this, the prostrate young women suddenly got to their feet. Jacob saw that each of the women held a piece of garment in her hands. They each placed their individual piece of clothing on the blond woman until she was dressed in a ceremonial robe.

One last woman ran up and placed a crown on the blonde's head--but she fumbled, and the crown fell to the stone floor. The blonde immediately produced a knife from under her robe, grabbed the woman by the neck and slit her throat right then and there. Dropping the crown had just been an accident, yet she had paid for it with her life.

Then, as the poor woman lay bleeding to death on the stage before her, the blonde calmly reached down, grabbed the crown, and placed it on her head.

'Dear God in heaven,' Jacob thought, as he watched the woman who had her throat slit die. She stared lifelessly up at the roof of the temple with wide, fearful eyes.

The chorus began singing a new, more triumphant verse--once more over and over. Selmak translated it to be: 'Behold, your new Lord Empress Mut.'

Mut stood holding her hands up high, with one of them still holding the bloody knife. Her eyes looked wild--ecstatic, with a frenzied pleasure that was mixed with pure insanity.

Everyone in the vast audience bowed down before their new ruler. Jacob did so as well--the very last thing he wanted to do here was to draw attention to himself.

'Her Lord Empress Mut appears to be just as bad as Neith,' Selmak commented.

'I'm afraid that Her Lord Empress Mut looks like she'll be much worse,' Jacob replied, as he recalled the sheer look of craziness on Mut's face just now. 'If there's one thing worse than a tyrant, it's an insane one. We had a madman on earth many centuries ago named Nero who ruled the ancient Roman Empire. He burned down Rome while he calmly fiddled the night away.'

'Perhaps Mut could do us a favor by burning down the Netian Empire,' Selmak said hopefully.

'If she doesn't take the rest of the galaxy with her, first,' Jacob gloomily responded. 'We need to get back to the SGC, old friend--pronto!'

**SG-1: SVU**

"Ok," Hailey announced. "Everybody stand by!"

McKay turned around from the computer console and gave her an annoyed look. "_I_ was supposed to say that…."

Hailey rolled her eyes skyward in frustration. She figured McKay wouldn't see this gesture, thanks to the hazmat suit that she wore. 'There's not a moment's rest with this guy, is there?' she thought. 'He's got to be an obnoxious moron every waking second!'

But, remembering her promise to Colonel O'Neill, Hailey just plastered a smile on her face and said, "Forgive me, Doctor. Would you like to say it, now?"

"Well, there's little point in doing that," McKay muttered, now looking morose inside his own hazmat suit. "Since _you've_ already said it…."

"Anytime you're ready, people," General Hammond's voice said on the loud speaker. He appeared slightly impatient as he sat in the glass booth that overlooked the lab with Woolsey beside him.

"We're ready, sir," Dr. Fraiser called up to him. Like everyone else in the room, Frasier wore a hazmat suit. She turned to Hailey, McKay and her medical team. "Would everyone please make sure your suit is sealed? Indicate this is so with a 'thumbs up' sign."

Once everybody gave a clear indication that their suits were sealed and working properly, Hailey glanced at McKay and said, "Want to do the honor, Doctor?"

McKay shook his head. "That's all right, Leiutenant. You go ahead."

'Well, what do you know,' Hailey thought, as she picked up the redesigned zat, 'he can be a halfway decent guy after all!'

"We've boosted the power in that zat so much that it might very well explode once you pull the trigger," McKay added. "And, should it blow up, at least _I _won't be the one holding it."

Hailey shot him a sidewards glance of pure and utter hatred. "Um, yeah, thanks for that, Doc."

She aimed the zat at the Goa'uld stasis tube before her. There was a young Marine inside, still frozen in stasis. Hailey said a quick prayer for him, then she aimed the zat at the stasis tube and pulled the trigger.

The intense power of the charged-up zat created a brief sparkling effect all over the stasis tube. Then the control panel on the side exploded, and the tube within began to fill with smoke.

That was Fraiser's cue. She and her medical team rapidly began to pry open the glass partition on the tube, exposing the coughing marine to the air. They lifted him out of the tube and onto a stretcher.

McKay ran over and consulted with a laptop computer that was hooked up to a section of the tube. He smiled broadly behind the clear plastic face of his hazmat suit. "The tanks are still full! The virus delivery system didn't work!"

"Just like what happened with Casey Novak," Hailey said, also smiling. "We've been able to repeat it here."

"How's that Marine, Doctor Fraiser?" Hammond asked.

"Fine, sir," Fraiser replied, as she checked his vitals. "We'll still keep him under observation, of course. But, so far, it's looking very good."

Hammond nodded. "Keep me appraised of his condition. Superb work, everyone."

**SG-1: SVU**

"I must commend you, and your team, General Hammond," Mr. Woolsey said. "You have a superb group of people working for you here."

Hammond could not help but smile with pride. "Thank you, Mr. Woolsey. It appears we may have just cleared our first hurtle with the Awakening Project."

"Yes," Woolsey said grimly. "But I fear that this was simply the first of many hurtles to surmount. With one of them being the size of Mt. Everest…."

"Care to elaborate?"

"We've been working on a way to safely wake up the Disappeared," Woolsey said. "But, once they _are_ all awake, what shall we do with them, then? You're talking about several thousand people from many different countries, General. How do we begin to get them back to their homes, and what do we tell them, and their governments?"

"It seems to me, that in order to get these people back to their respective homes, you may well need the cooperation of their governments."

"But to do that would mean exposing the existence of the stargate program," Woolsey said.

Hammond grew thoughtful for a moment. "Mr. Woolsey, when the president appointed you to this job, was keeping the stargate program a secret one of the major requirements?"

"No, he never said any such thing. I was told by him to do whatever was necessary to get these people safely back to their families and homes. Of course, I still have to check in with him when I finally decide what to do."

"Then my advice would be to call in whoever you need to help you. Because this appears to be a far larger problem than either you, or the NID, is expected to deal with," Hammond said. "Especially if you're going to be dealing with the governments of the countries these people were taken from. You need a good diplomat for that."

Woolsey looked crestfallen. "I'm afraid there aren't too many diplomats in the NID whom I can think of, General."

"Then look outside the NID," Hammond suggested. "It's time to think outside of the box, Mr. Woolsey."

Leiutenant Sattersfield appeared at the doorway of the observation room. She snapped off a salute, which Hammond returned. "Yes, Leiutenant?"

"Sir, we sent a MALP to Ionia," Satterfield reported. "The place looks none worse for wear, no thanks to Osiris. But…we lost communication with the MALP when one of the Ionian Guards shot it, sir."

"They shot the MALP?" Hammond asked, surprised.

Satterfield nodded. "Yes sir. With an arrow right into the camera. Just before the camera was shot out, an angry mob of Ionians surrounded the MALP. They really didn't look too happy, sir."

Hammond nodded. "At least it sounds like they're all right. Very well, I'll review the footage from the MALP when I get up to the control room."

"Yes sir." Satterfield looked crestfallen.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?" Hammond asked in a paternal tone.

"Sorry sir…it's just that…well, it looks like we've lost the Ionians as allies."

"Don't be so sure of that," Hammond replied. "Remember the old adage: time heals all wounds. So let's just give the Ionians some time before we contact them again."

Satterfield nodded, looking grateful. "Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind."

They were interrupted when Sgt. Harriman entered the room. "I beg your pardon, sir. But you have an urgent phone call from Colonel O'Neill."

Hammond didn't like the way that sounded. O'Neill and SG-1 had gone to New York to pick up Casey Novak, which should have been a very simple assignment. "Very well, Sergeant, I'll take it in my office."

"Thank you for the advice, General," Woolsey said. "I shall take it to heart."

"Good to hear, Mr. Woolsey," Hammond replied, as he left the observation room with Satterfield and Harriman. Harriman had a few things for Hammond to sign, then they parted ways outside of Hammond's office.

Hammond picked up the phone on his desk and pressed the blinking button. "Yes, Colonel O'Neill?"

As he listened to O'Neill give him a rundown of what happened, Hammond quickly realized that the situation wasn't as bad as he had thought.

It was worse.

Much, much, worse.

**SG-1: SVU**

On the flight back to Cheyenne Mountain, Olivia sat alone in the back of the jet--lost in thought, and in bitter memories.

Seated just ahead of her was O'Neill, who spoke intently into the phone, as he filled in General Hammond on what had happened in New York. She didn't envy him. What happened with Elliot and Casey was bad enough, but to make matters worse, when Osiris' ship appeared over the warehouse, Harry Maybourne had used the mass confusion to pull another one of his disappearing acts. And the evasive Colonel Frank Simmons, the suspected mastermind behind Casey's abduction, was also still on the lam.

The desvastation of losing both Elliot and Casey had been struck home very hard for Olivia once they returned to the One Six Precinct. Major Davis was already there with a team of scary-looking men in civilian clothing. They were going around the SVU squad room, bullying everyone who was present at the warehouse--the eyewitnesses who saw the alien craft in the sky above--into signing nondisclosure agreements.

Munch just glared harshly at Olivia--as if the whole thing was somehow her fault--before he finally, grudgingly, signed the sheet of paper.

Olivia stared on at the grim scene, feeling hurt--until she noticed the faces of the various One Six personnel who stood around her; they all glared at Olivia as if she had somehow betrayed them. The look of utter contempt on their faces was the type usually reserved for members of the Rat Squad, and yet now they were giving it to Olivia. In that instant, Olivia realized that the members of the One Six no longer considered her as being one of them.

And as if things couldn't be any worse than that horrible moment of realization for her, Sam gestured with wide eyes at something behind Olivia. Olivia turned around and saw the last person on earth whom she had wanted to meet right then and there.

Kathy Stabler stared at Olivia with a furious glare that was frightening to behold.

"Where's my husband, Olivia?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Where's Elliot?!"

Olivia just stared back at her--feeling dumbfounded as well as being at a loss for words. All she could do was shrug helplessly.

"Don't give me that!" Kathy screamed at Olivia. "When you went missing, Elliot moved heaven and earth trying to find you!"

"I-I promise, Kathy, that I will do the same for him," Olivia swore.

"_You're_ probably the reason he's missing!" Kathy screeched.

Enraged, she raised her fists and moved in to attack Olivia, but Cragen and Fin stopped her. They grabbed Kathy in a bear hug--it took the both of them to stop the angry, crying woman--and pulled her back from Olivia.

O'Neill had stepped in at that moment and said to Olivia: "C'mon, let's get out of here."

"Yes," Munch angrily said. "Maybe you should just go--all of you Men In Black bastards, just get the hell out of here!"

As she left with SG-1, Olivia was stunned at the fact that Munch had stared right at her when he said that.

On the car ride over to the airport, Sam had tried telling Olivia that it wasn't her fault; that she wasn't to blame for what happened to Elliot and Casey. Yet Olivia only half-heard her words. She had been running the scene in the lab over and over in her mind, wondering if there was anything different that she could have done.

And now, as she sat on the plane, Olivia thought that perhaps Kathy was right…maybe if Olivia hadn't freezed up when she first realized Elliot was possessed by a Goa'uld, she could have done something to prevent him from abducting Casey and taking off as he did.

'Oh, God…Casey….' Olivia thought, as she dismally placed her head in her hands. 'I had her in my arms! Why, oh why did I ever let her go?!'

Olivia felt a hand gently caress her shoulder just then. She glanced up, expecting to see Sam--but it wasn't her.

It was Daniel.

"Hi," he said, sounding slightly sheepish. "Uh, I hope you don't mind, but you looked like you could use a friend right about now, so…."

Olivia took his hand in hers and clutched it tightly. "Thanks. Because, God knows, I don't have too many friends left now…."

The tears came gushing like a geyser, and Olivia didn't try to stop them. Daniel reached out and pulled her in for a tight hug. "I know exactly what you mean," he whispered. "There have been plenty of times when I felt like I didn't have a friend in the world. And you know what, Liv? I was wrong. I had plenty of friends, people who loved and supported me, all along. That's what you need to keep in mind right now."

Olivia nodded as they broke their embrace. She was surprised to see a tissue being offered to her. It was Sam who held it. Teal'c stood behind her with a concerned look on his face.

"Thanks," Olivia said, taking the tissue from Sam. As she wiped her face, Olivia glanced at each of them and added, "Thanks for all of your support, guys. I really needed it right now."

"What happened wasn't your fault, Liv," O'Neill said as he came over to the group. "Mrs. Stabler's feelings may have been understandable, given the circumstances, but she was wrong to blame you for it."

"And they're not gone forever," Sam added. "We'll find Elliot and Casey."

"I appreciate it, really," Olivia replied. "But, one of the things I learned from hanging with you guys is that the universe is so big! Where do we even begin to look for them?"

"With Osiris," Teal'c chimed in. "You forget, Olivia Benson, that she also seeks the Asgard Slayer. Therefore, I have a feeling that our paths may cross yet again."

"Well, I just informed Hammond of what happened," O'Neill told the group. "And, he said that--"

O'Neill was cut off just as the entire cabin had suddenly become ablaze with an intense wave of bright white light. Olivia was stunned--for a split second, she thought the plane had exploded and they had all died.

But instead of heaven, Olivia now found herself standing beside Daniel, Sam, Teal'c and O'Neill in a room. It looked like a control room of some kind, with ultra modern control consoles and glowing crystals all over the place. At first Olivia thought that a massive, floor to ceiling window showed a view of the night sky. But she was wrong. On further viewing, she realized that the inky blackness beyond the window was deep space.

"Greetings, Colonel O'Neill," a high-pitched, nasal-sounding voice said.

"Thor!" O'Neill said joyously. "Good to see you, buddy!"

Olivia turned and saw a small, grey creature seated at one of the control consoles. It had large black eyes that were slitted upwards, and its head was completely bald. And although Olivia couldn't see it's entire body, she was fairly certain that the little guy was naked.

"Olivia Benson, meet Thor," Daniel said, by way of an introduction. "Thor is one of the Asgard."

"And Thor is an honest to goodness alien!" O'Neill said.

"'Alien' is a relative term, O'Neill," Thor said. Turning his head towards Olivia, he added, "However, it is a pleasure to meet you."

And when Olivia--who was still somewhat lightheaded and very bewildered over having been transported here without the usual Goa'uld rings--stared into the living face of a truly alien creature, she did the only thing she could do at that moment.

She fainted dead away.

**SG-1: SVU**

"And now," Her Lord Empress Mut grandly said, "let the games begin."

She took her seat in the regally decorated Empress' chair in the royal podium. Io'tan sat in a smaller, less decorated chair next to her.

Io'tan stared over at her Lord Empress with a slight look of consternation. The image of Na'tsh, one of her Priestess In Training, lying with her throat slit in the royal temple had been burned into her memory forever. Granted, the young woman had made a grave mistake by dropping the Lord Empress' crown, but that was a crime usually punishable with fifty lashes of the whip. To strike someone down like that, in the middle of Her Lord Empress' coronation ceremony--which was one of the most sacred--was irregular, to say the least.

Still, Mut had so far proven herself to be just as decisive as Neith, so perhaps this was a sign that she would prove to be an equally good leader of the Netian Empire.

Io'tan turned her attention to the game in the coliseum below them. It was the Maze: a twisting, winding collection of stone walls that created a labyrinth that led to a clearing in the center. This clearing contained a stargate. Io'tan wondered who was the unlucky person whom Mut thought should face the Maze this time.

The answer appeared when a man was led out to the beginning of the Maze by a pair of Jaffa guards. It was Nacre, the royal physician. Stripped to the waist and barefoot, Nacre moved in a timid fashion, looking all around him with wide eyes, as if seeking a friendly face in the crowds that were assembled in the seats above him.

When he saw Mut, Nacre broke from the Jaffa's grasp and bowed in the sand before her booth, which stood one story above him. "My Lord Empress Mut! Might I congratulate you on your ascension to your present rank? One for which you are truly most worthy! And might I ask, why am have I been placed in the Maze?"

"You speak of being worthy, Royal Physican," Mut said with a chuckle. "That is why I have asked you to confront the challenges of the Maze. For if you survive, then you will have proven yourself to be most worthy to serve me, your Lord Empress."

Nacre simply gave her a frightened look, which made Mut laugh. "Fear not!" she said. "The game is very simple, Nacre. Just find your way to the center of the Maze, to the stargate. Once you arrive at the stargate, use it to gate out of the Maze, and then you shall begin your new life by my side as my servant."

"Y-Yes, my Lord Empress Mut," he said. Although the anxious look on his face made it clear that he wasn't too sure about this situation.

"Oh, and Nacre?" Mut added.

"Yes, my Lord Empress?" Nacre asked, looking hopeful.

"If you try to come back out through the front entrance, the Jaffa will shoot you dead," Mut helpfully informed him. Mut then made a gesture with her hand to the Jaffa, who grabbed Nacre and tossed him through the front gate of the Maze.

"This should be fun," Mut told Io'tan with excitment.

They watched as Nacre fumbled his way through the Maze. The ground was like thick beach sand, which made running very hard, even for one who was barefoot.

It was as Io'tan watched Nacre fearfully come around a corner that she heard Mut say, "You're very quiet. Something on your mind?"

Io'tan wasn't about to express her displeasure with what happened during the coronation ceremony--not unless she wanted to join Nacre down there in the Maze. "I was just wondering if you had chosen your First Prime, yet, my Lord Empress."

"Yes, I have, Io'tan," Mut replied with a smile. "It shall be you."

Io'tan was so stunned, she could not hide it. "Me? But, my Lord Empress…I know nothing of tactical, or military affairs. Besides, the First Prime has always been a Jaffa."

"No longer, Io'tan. I shall sculpt the Netian Empire into whatever new form I see fit, just as I shall bend the very universe to my will. Now that I am Lord Empress, we have enterd an exciting new time, my friend. Be grateful that you are a part of it."

Mut glanced down in the Maze at Nacre, who had stopped because he looked lost. "This farce has continued long enough," she said to a Jaffa who stood by her side. "Release the Thunder Lizards."

"Thunder Lizards!" the Jaffa called down into the Maze.

The two Jaffa who guarded the front entrance of the Maze quickly ran to safety through a side door that sealed shut behind them.

A larger gate rolled opened on the opposite side of the coliseum, and a pack of Thunder Lizards came running into the clearing just before the front entrance to the Maze. These creatures were more wild than their domesticated cousins, who served as riding animals for the Mounted Jaffa Corps. The Maze Thunder Lizards were bred especially for the hunting of whatever prey they found in the stone labyrinth. They now stood in a tight circle as several of them growled at each other. But it wasn't long before they picked up Nacre's scent, and the pack of them went charging into the Maze after him.

The crowds surrounding the Maze roared their approval at this change of events.

Nacre had actually stumbled into the clearing within the Maze where the stargate was. He had run up to the DHD and rapidly began dialing--until he realized that the DHD was fixed so that it could only dial out to one specific address. He quickly dialed the pre-set address, and the gate roared to life, with the event horizon momentarily purging outwards before it settled down into a shimmering pool of light.

Nacre happily ran up the ramp that led to the stagate--

--just as one of the Thunder Lizards jumped onto it right in front of him. It shrieked at him, causing Nacre to turn around and run back off the ramp.

But that was when the second Thunder Lizard leapt onto the ramp, blocking any escape for Nacre in both directions.

Nacre, who looked petrified, tried to jump off the side of the ramp. But just as he did, the first Thunder Lizard attacked, chomping down on his head and upper torso and lifted him up. The other Thunder Lizard then bit down on Nacre's flailing legs, and the hapless man was caught in-between the two predators.

"Look, look!" Mut hysterically cried. "His arms are still wiggling!"

The two Thunder Lizards began pulling on Nacre as if he were a chew toy, and when a third lizard leapt into the fray, Io'tan demurely closed her eyes. Nacre may have been a little toad, but she still had no desire to watch him be torn limb from limb.

When she heard the crowds, along with Mut, abruptly start cheering wildly--Io'tan knew that it was all over. She opened her eyes and saw the lizards now wolfing down the bloody remnants of what was once the Royal Physican.

A male slave came up to the royal podium and bent down, offering Her Lord Empress a tray filled with drinks and snacks.

But Mut was still too caught up in the proceedings below to even notice him. She turned to Io'tan and said, "He died very well, did he not? I just wish I had more people to throw in there."

Then, taking notice of the slave, Mut stood up and made to take a drink from his tray. But instead of taking a drink, Mut suddenly shoved the young man over the railing.

Io'tan watched in horror as the slave fell to the sandy ground below. The soft earth prevented him from getting any broken bones. But nothing would help save him from what was to come.

The Thunder Lizards, sensing the presence of new prey, came roaring out of the Maze. They jumped on the man before he could even scream, ripping him to shreds with the razor-sharp talons in their claws and feet.

Mut gave another joyous cry as she applauded the brutal killing, as though it were just an entertaining sport.

"I think I shall enjoy being Lord Empress," she told Io'tan with a giggle.

Io'tan just nodded her head absently, as she felt her insides grow cold with fear.

'What kind of monster now rules the Netian Empire?' she nervously wondered. 'And how many of us will she kill before it is all over?'

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

_My thanks to Barbarossa Rotbart, Ray1, randomblueeydblonde, D.J. Scales and piecesofyourheart for their kind words. They're always appreciated. _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Six**

"Let me see," Osiris said, as she stepped back to give Casey a critical look. Then she nodded, pleased with her choice of clothing for her new personal slave. "Yes, that will do very well."

'Oh God,' Casey thought, as she stared at herself dismally in the full length mirror. Having discarded the surgical garb at Osiris' command--and good riddance to it--Casey was now clad in a ridiculously scant outfit that was created entirely of her mistress' choosing. Now she actually missed wearing the surgical garb, for at least it covered her up!

Casey's new outfit consisted of nothing more than a bikini top with an ankle-length loincloth that exposed the sides of her bare legs. The material was a royal blue in color, trimmed with gold. Casey also wore a gold plated armband on her right arm, along with a collar on her neck. The collar was gold, and it was ornately designed, but the damn thing was still a collar--a constant, uneasy reminder that Casey would, from this point on, be kept on a leash like a dog.

There was one item that Osiris forgot: shoes. Casey wasn't sure if she should bring the subject up with her, or just keep her mouth shut. She was thinking it probably would be a good idea to just keep her mouth shut and let Osiris continue to dress her as if she was a living Barbie doll. It might be insulting and humiliating for Casey, but she presently saw it as being the only safe route to staying alive.

'Still, as much as this situation sucks, it still beats being dead,' Casey thought grimly. 'And, if nothing else, it can't get much worse than this….'

Osiris came over and ran her hand over Casey's bare torso. "You are so light-skinned," she said, in a sultry tone, "just like a porcelain doll. _My_ little porcelain doll."

'Oh…my…God….' Casey thought, with complete and utter repulsion, as Osiris ran her hands all over Casey's body. All Casey could think of doing was to just stand there and stare wide-eyed at herself in the mirror. 'Maybe she'll get bored and stop…I _hope_….'

Osiris smiled as she tightly embraced Casey from behind. She placed her chin on Casey's bare shoulder and said, "Does this shock you, my little porcelain doll?"

'With you perverted freaks, nothing shocks me anymore,' Casey thought with disgust. Yet she wisely left that notion unspoken. "Uh…no, my mistress…."

"You must understand, that I am actually a male Goa'uld," Osiris whispered into Casey's ear. "But although I now reside in a female host, my taste is still for…little porcelain dolls…."

'OH SWEET JESUS!' a stunned Casey thought, as Osiris began to gently nibble on her ear lobe.

The door slid open just then, and the peltac commander entered. "My Queen!"

"WHAT?!" Osiris roared in anger.

The peltac commander, now seeing clearly the scene he had just interrupted, took a timid step backwards. "I humbly beg your pardon, my Queen. But I have urgent news that you must hear."

'Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!' Casey thought with relief, as Osiris abruptly released her and stormed over to the man.

"It had better be good," Osiris snarled.

"We have arrived at Mount Tanis, my Queen," the peltac commander said, with a bow. "The Goa'uld, Ke'tesh, has led us directly to the system."

"Has he?" Osiris said thoughtfully. "Are we still under cloak?"

The peltac commander nodded. "As per your orders, my Queen."

Osiris nodded. "Then proceed to Mount Tanis. I shall join you on the peltac shortly."

The peltac commander bowed and left the room. Osiris turned towards Casey and said, "Come with me."

Casey quickly fell into step behind Osiris as they left the private chambers and went down the corridor. When they arrived at the peltac, Casey saw Elliot/Ke'tesh standing there, clad in sandals and a golden robe--along with a feathered headdress that made her almost burst out loud with laughter. The sight of poor Elliot in that outfit actually made Casey feel better about her own skimpy garment.

'Just what is it with the Goa'uld and their love of tacky clothing?' Casey wondered.

Casey noticed that Elliot/Ke'tesh stood under guard by a pair of angry Jaffa. If this bothered Elliot/Ke'tesh, he didn't show it as he watched the peltac crew desperately scramble around the room with a smug look on his face.

"What is going on?" Osiris demanded.

"My Queen," the Peltac commander said, frantically pointing at Elliot/Ke'tesh, "he has secretly sent a message to Mount Tanis on a coded frequency!"

"Really?" Osiris said, as she regarded Elliot/Ke'tesh with bemusement. "Shame on you, Ke'tesh. You know that is a wasted effort. As long as we are cloaked, they will never find us."

"So you say," Elliot/Ke'tesh replied, still smiling as if he were in on a private joke.

Osiris walked around Elliot/Ke'tesh, as though inspecting him. While she did this, Casey felt as if someone was boring a hole in the back of her head. She glanced over her bare shoulder, at the Jaffa who stood guard over Ke'tesh. From the way they were both leering at her, Casey didn't have to be psychic to read their pornographic thoughts regarding her body.

'It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?' Casey wearily thought, as she gazed out the main window of the peltac. Regardless of her dire situation, she was still momentarily stunned by the awesome sight of the spaceships in orbit of Mount Tanis.

Then Casey noticed that one of the pyramid-shaped ships lit up as bright as a sun. It only lasted for a second, but the burst of light created a sparkling wave of luminosity that emanated outwards from the ship, stretching out towards everything--

--including them.

Casey glanced at Osiris and her crew, who were so distracted by Elliot/Ke'tesh that they never noticed this new threat approaching them. And Casey wondered if she should just keep quiet.

"Smile all you like," Osiris said to Elliot/Ke'tesh. "But now that we are at Mount Tanis, your usefulness to me has come to an end."

Casey's eyes flared in horror when she saw Osiris make a gesture to her Jaffa, and they aimed their staff weapons right at Elliot/Ke'tesh. Casey couldn't very well let Elliot be killed because of the soulless monster that possessed him. And so she decided to play the only card she held at that moment.

"My mistress," Casey said, as she glanced out the window. The strange, luminous wave was now closer to their ship. "My mistress, excuse me!"

"Silence, slave!" Osiris snapped at her.

"My mistress," Casey insisted, as she pointed out the window, "please, look!"

When Osiris and her crew finally did see the oncoming wave of energy, Elliot/Ke'tesh was quickly forgotten as they ran to their consoles.

"What is that?" Osiris demanded of Elliot/Ke'tesh.

"Your doom," he replied.

"Get us out of here!" Osiris roared at her crew.

But even Casey could see that it was now too late, as the wave was right on top of them. In the melee that erupted around her, Casey braced herself against a console, until she felt a hand grab her by the wrist.

It was Elliot/Ke'tesh. "A control console is the last place you wish to be," he told her. "Come."  
He dragged her across the peltac and shoved Casey into a bare alcove that had no electronics. "It should be safer here," he said, with a glance out the window. The wave was all that could be seen now. "Brace yourself."

'Oh, Christ,' Casey thought, just before the wave hit them, 'this is gonna hurt….'

**SG-1: SVU**

"Meet my new First Prime," Mut said, gesturing at Io'tan, who stood next to her.

Io'tan carefully watched the faces of the Jaffa who had been called to this briefing before the throne of Her Lord Empress. If any of the Jaffa commanders had a problem with her being the First Prime, they did not show it--but then, perhaps they were just being prudent.

"One other matter," Mut added. "Since the Tauri were responsible for the death of Neith, I want to keep them under constant surveillance."

She pointed at a group of Ha'tak commanders who stood out front of the group of Jaffa. "You five shall go to the Tauri system. Remain out of sight behind one of the larger planets, if you need to, but monitor the Tauri. Do not move against them unless commanded directly by me. Understood?"

The five Ha'tak commanders all bowed obediently--then they left the throne room when Mut dismissed them, along with the other Jaffa commanders.

"That went well, don't you think?" Mut said happily to Io'tan.

Io'tan didn't know what to think, let alone say. For all she and Mut knew, the entire group of Jaffa could be plotting to kill them both. Yet there was something else bothering her so much that she just had to say it. "My Lord Empress, the five Ha'tak commanders whom you sent to the Tauri system. They were all loyal to Amun."

Mut surprised Io'tan when she smiled broadly. "Yes, I know. And all the better to get them as far away from Mount Tanis as possible, yes?"

Io'tan nodded in understanding. So the new Lord Empress wasn't a complete dolt after all.

"And if something should happen to them--an incident, say--while they are in the Tauri system," Mut added. "Then it will be all the better for us when they are dead, my dear Io'tan."

Io'tan gave her a wary look. "If I may ask, does My Lord Empress know of an upcoming incident that is about to happen?"

"No," Mut cheerily replied. "But I shall certainly keep watch for the first incident that occurs, so I can use it to my advantage."

The Jaffa in charge of planetary defense strode into the throne room at a brisk pace. "Forgive me for interrupting you, my Lord Empress," he said, with a bow. "But the Ha'tak fleet in orbit above us have captured a rogue Alkesh vessel that was operating under a cloak."

"Is that so?" Mut asked. "Have the prisoners brought down here to me."

"At once, my Lord Empress," the Jaffa said with a bow. Then he left the throne room.

"It appears, my dear Io'tan, that this 'incident' we were just discussing has already occurred," Mut said, as a broad smile crossed her face.

**SG-1: SVU**

When Olivia awoke, she found herself staring into Sam's smiling face. "Hey, Liv," she cheerfully said. "Welcome back."

Olivia glanced around her, and saw that she was lying down on a very comfortable bed in a sparely furnished room. She sat up and shook her head slightly.

"You ok?" Sam asked.

"Sam, I just had the weirdest dream," Olivia said. "You had introduced me to an alien--a real, live alien, and I…."

Olivia stopped talking once Sam had slowly started to shake her head. "It wasn't a dream, Liv."

"You mean I really did meet--?"

Sam nodded. "We're still aboard his ship."

"Oh, my God," Olivia said with a gasp. "I fainted on him, didn't I?"

Sam nodded her head again, this time with a slight smile. "Don't worry; Teal'c caught you before you could hit the floor. How do you feel now?"

"Embarrassed as hell," Olivia replied. "Is Thor mad?"

"The Asgard are kind of mellow," Sam told her. "They sort of take stuff in stride. So don't worry about it. You feel well enough to get up?"

Olivia got off the bed--and once she did, it folded up and slid neatly into the floor. She stared at the floor and could not see any seams.

'I'd like to see Ikea beat that!' Olivia thought, as she followed Sam out of the room.

Sam led her back into the main control room of Thor's ship. Olivia could see the earth through a window. O'Neill, Daniel, Teal'c and Thor all stood talking by one of the windows. Thor barely stood waist-high to O'Neill, and he was completely naked.

"All this highly advanced technology, and the Asgard still don't wear clothes?" Olivia whispered into Sam's ear. "Who're are these guys, anyway, the pervs of the galaxy?"

Sam instinctively started to laugh, until she quickly stopped herself with a shake of the head. "These 'pervs' are the only thing preventing earth from being attacked by a Goa'uld invasion force, Liv," she whispered back. "So _please _try and be polite, ok?"

Olivia held her hands up. "Hey, I'll be the epitome of politeness."

Teal'c was the first to see the women approach them. He gave Olivia a broad smile. "It is good to see you are well, Olivia Benson."

"Thanks to you, Teal'c," Olivia replied. "Sam told me you were the one who caught me. Thank you."

Teal'c nodded at her.

Olivia then turned to Thor. "And, um, I'd really like to apologize to _you_ for fainting like that before."

"I keep telling you, Thor," O'Neill jokingly said, "you gotta lose that Halloween mask, it keeps scaring the kids!"

Thor simply gazed at O'Neill, deadpan.

"That's a just a joke," O'Neill feebly explained.

"If you say so," Thor responded coolly. Then he glanced at Olivia. "There is no need to apologize, Detective Benson. Your reaction was quite understandable."

Olivia was surprised by that answer. "Really?"

"Yes, it is common for lower life forms like yourself to be overwhelmed by things that you don't understand," Thor politely explained. Then he turned and walked away with O'Neill and Teal'c, deep in conversation.

"He just insulted me, didn't he?" Olivia nodded sullenly as she watched Thor take a seat at the main control console. "That little pri--"

Sam just waved a finger at her. "Nuh-uh! He's the big bad protector who keeps the wolves at bay for us, remember? Think happy thoughts."

"Um, he's actually a pretty decent guy," Daniel added, "once you get to know him, that is."

"But why does he have to be naked?" Olivia muttered, as she followed them over to the control console. "That's just creepy, you know?"

"It's their way," Daniel explained. "They don't have sex, anyway, so…." When Olivia gave him an exasperated look he added, "Uh, no, seriously! Instead of sex, the Asgard clone themselves."

"You'd be out of a job if you were a cop on their planet," Sam added, smiling. "No sex crimes there. No crime whatsoever, come to think of it."

"Settle down, children, please!" O'Neill told them, before Olivia could respond to Sam. Turning to Thor, he gestured at Olivia and added, "It's this new kid. Since Olivia joined the team, she's been riling up Carter to no end, and now she's even got Daniel going!"

"Hey!" Olivia cried, annoyed.

"Sir!" Sam complained.

"What?!" Daniel said.

"Is everyone ready?" Thor asked.

"Ready for what?" Olivia wanted to know.

The answer came when everything faded away in a brilliant white flash of light, and Olivia abruptly found herself standing with SG-1 and Thor in the conference room at Stargate Command.

"Oh, Jesus," Olivia said, feeling woozy, "I had barely gotten over the _last_ trip…."

Rodney McKay stood chatting with Jennifer Hailey by the snack table, and when he saw the group appear before him, he let out a frightened, shrill scream as he grabbed the young lieutenant.

Although stunned at the transportation--not to mention the sight of Thor--Hailey still angrily slapped at McKay. "Get the hell off of me!"

Yet Rodney ignored her and fearfully pointed at Thor--as if the small Asgard was about to kill and eat him. "W-W-What is that?!"

"That's just Thor," Janet Fraiser said in a soothing tone, as she came around the side of the table with an equally alarmed Satterfield. "He's an Asgard, Rodney. You've read about them in the SG-1 mission reports, remember?"

"Welcome back, SG-1," Hammond said, as he emerged from his office. "And welcome, Thor."

Thor nodded his head at Hammond. "Thank you, General Hammond."

"An…alien?" Rodney asked, stunned, as he stared wide-eyed at Thor.

Thor turned to him and replied, "Once again, I find the term 'alien' to be rather--"

But Thor never finished.

Because Rodney McKay had fainted dead away on the floor.

"Oh, jeez…" Janet said, as she quickly bent down to tend to him. "Rodney? Wake up, Rodney. Earth to Rodney…."

"Believe me," Olivia muttered. "I know exactly how he feels…."

**SG-1: SVU**

Casey let out a grunt as she was shoved to the floor in front of the blond woman who sat casually on a throne. Osiris and Elliot/Ke'tesh had landed on the floor beside her, after having been treated just as roughly by the Jaffa.

The woman on the throne regarded them with an icy smile. Casey saw another woman who stood off to the side of the seated woman, as if in deference to her. The second woman appeared to have a kind face. However, Casey learned the hard way to never judge a Goa'uld strictly on their outward appearance.

"And who might you be?" the woman on the throne asked.

"My Lord Empress Mut," Elliot/Ke'tesh said, rising just high enough to bow respectfully to her on his knees. "I am Ke'tesh. An agent sent by Neith to spy on Ra on Earth."

"You're extremely overdue," Mut said, shaking her head. "Ra is ancient history--as is my dear sister Neith."

"Yes, my Lord Empress, I know," Elliot/Ke'tesh replied humbly. "I was captured by Ra, stripped of my human host, and placed in stasis as punishment. But I have returned to serve you."

Casey shook her head in disgust. Just a few hours ago, Elliot/Ke'tesh was bad-mouthing this Mut character, and yet now he was sucking up to her. 'So much for loyalty among the Goa'uld,' she thought derisively.

"And how can you possibly serve me now?" Mut asked, sounding skeptical.

Elliot/Ke'tesh arose and pointed at Casey. "That woman is Tauri. She has been sent here to spy on you. But by releasing a coded message, I have stopped the evil plans the Tauri have launched against you."

"What?!" Casey cried.

Mut got up from the chair and made a gesture with her hand, and one of the Jaffa warriors effortlessly lifted Casey to her feet and held her there by the back of her neck.

Mut then came over and casually inspected Casey, who was still clad only in the skimpy garments that Osiris dressed her in. "Is what he says true? Are you a Tauri spy?"

"My name is Casey Novak, and I _am_ from earth," Casey admitted. "But I'm no spy, I swear! I was abducted by--"

"Silence, slave," Mut commanded.

As much as Casey wanted to keep talking, she instantly quieted down when the Jaffa who held her by the nape of her neck squeezed his hand, causing her great pain.

"I am Osiris." Her eyes flared in the Goa'uld fashion as she rose to her feet in defiance. "And this Tauri is my slave!"

After another slight hand gesture from Mut, a second Jaffa warrior smashed the butt of his staff weapon into Osiris' stomach, sending her straight back down to the floor.

"You are both my slaves," Mut corrected Osiris, who lay gasping on the floor. She glanced at the warrior who struck Osiris down and said, "Take her to the dungeon."

As an enraged Osiris was hauled away, Mut turned to Elliot/Ke'tesh and said, "Rise."

When he did so, Mut added, "You have done very well, Agent Ke'tesh. The Netian Empire is in your debt."

"I wish only to continue serving the greater glory that is the Netian Empire, my Lord Empress," Elliot/Ke'tesh intoned seriously. His act was so good, that Casey almost believed him.

"And you shall, Agent Ke'tesh," Mut said, as she seductively ran her hand along his chest. "You shall serve me personally."

'Oh my God,' Casey thought, as she watched in horror at the sight of Elliot/Ke'tesh and Mut sharing a passionate kiss. 'Oh, God, Elliot….'

The woman with the kind face stepped forward and indicated Casey with her hand. "If you are finished with this little one, my Lord Empress, I shall be happy to take her--"

"No, Io'tan. I have further use for her," Mut replied, as she came back over to Casey. She glanced at the Jaffa warrior who continued to hold Casey and added, "Take this Tauri spy to the main podium. Have the technicians there prepare for an empire-wide transmission by me personally."

"No, no, please! I'm not a spy, I swear to you!" Casey cried, as the hulking Jaffa effortlessly picked her up and hauled her away over his shoulder. "Please believe me! _PLEASE! I BEG YOU!_"

Yet her pleas fell on unsympathetic ears, as Mut and Elliot/Ke'tesh, completely ignoring Casey, once again embraced lustfully.

Only Io'tan stared after Casey with a look of sorrow on her face. And the last thing Casey saw, just before the Jaffa carried her off into the cold darkness below, was Io'tan discreetly mouthing two words at her:

'I'm sorry.'

**SG-1: SVU**

O'Neill and Teal'c had placed the unconscious Rodney in a chair at the conference table, where Janet had administered some minor medical aid to him until he woke up.

"I'm fine," Rodney insisted, as she waved Janet away. "Really, I'm fine, I'm--"

He then let out a startled shriek when he saw Thor, who sat across the table from him. Thor merely gazed back at Rodney with mild interest as Sam, who sat at the table next to Olivia, just shook her head in disgust. For their part, both Lieutenants Hailey and Satterfield looked on at Rodney's antics with great amusement.

"You're not gonna faint again, are you?" O'Neill said, sounding annoyed.

"No, no, I'm fine," Rodney said, as he took a deep breath.

"Really?" O'Neill prodded.

"Yes," Rodney replied, as he gave Thor another worried look. "Really."

Hammond nodded, as he took his usual seat at the head of the table. "Good to hear, Doctor. Now if we can just--"

The general quarters alarm blared as Sgt. Harriman's voice said over the base's intercom, "Incoming wormhole!"

'Now what?' O'Neill wondered, as they all quickly left the conference room and went downstairs to the stargate control room.

"Who is it?" Hammond asked the sergeant, who sat at his usual console in front of the windows.

"It's Jacob Carter, sir," Harriman replied. "We just got his IDC now."

"Let him through," Hammond commanded.

In the gate room, the numerous multiple shields of the iris folded away until the shining event horizon within the stargate was fully revealed. A lone figure emerged from the silvery brightness, clad in a light tan cloak.

O'Neill couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Jacob Carter, a retired Air Force General, who now looked for all the world like a sorcerer from one of those Lord Of The Rings fantasy movies.

As he and the others entered the gate room, a smiling O'Neill said, "You know, Jacob, if you grew a beard and got a really big hat, you'd look just like that wizard guy from those Rings movies--Gandalf the Grey."

After greeting Carter with an affectionate hug, Jacob held out his arms, as if to better display his dusty cloak. "Like it, Jack? It's the latest fashion on Mount Tanis."

There was a moment of stunned silence at the mere mention of that name. Carter broke the silence when she said, "Dad, you've been to Mount Tanis?"

"Yeah," he said, growing solemn. "On orders from the Tok'ra, I found the place--and, after seeing what I saw there, now I wish I hadn't found it!"

"We were just about to have a briefing upstairs, Jacob," Hammond said. "Why don't you join us?"

"Be glad to, George," Jacob replied. "And, boy, have I got a story to tell you guys!"

**SG-1: SVU**

"Are we ready?" Mut asked, as she strode onto the main podium, which was a large stage where her Lord Empress made speeches that were sent throughout the Netian Empire proper.

The Jaffa commander nodded. "We are, my Lord Empress." He gestured to the center of the stage. "As you can see, the Tauri spy has been trussed up as per your specific orders."

Mut nodded as she made a quick inspection of the Tauri woman, Casey Novak, who was securely bound with restraints at the wrists and ankles. Mut was pleased to see that Novak had even been gagged. Two Jaffa warriors held her up in the center of the stage. "Very good. Make certain that she is on screen at all times. "

"My Lord Empress," Io'tan asked humbly. "May I ask what are you doing?"

"Sending a message, my dear Io'tan," Mut replied, as she pulled a knife from its sheath on her leg. "Sending a message."

"To the Tauri?"

"To the universe," Mut said. She held up the knife, which was the very same blade she had used to cut the throat of the stupid little bitch who dared to drop her crown earlier today. She would be getting a lot of use from it. "My sister Neith saw the universe as being infested, and she was right. The universe _is_ infested, and it must be cleansed--starting with the Tauri. They were Neith's slayers, so they shall be the first to die."

Mut gazed at the massive Goa'uld communicator that sat before the stage, which was used to send messages galaxy-wide. "I am now ready."

One of the technicians nodded at her. "As are we, my Lord Empress."

Mut then walked over to the bound woman, pulled back her head with one hand, and laid the blade across Novak's exposed throat. Novak let out a muffled scream from under her gag, and tried to wriggle out of Mut's grasp--but to no avail.

"Prepare yourself," Mut whispered into Novak's ear. "For we are about to make history!"

**SG-1: SVU**

When Sam's father was finished telling his tale--which was at times both fascinating and horrendous--there was an uncomfortable silence amidst the large group of people in the conference room. Olivia didn't really know what to say, if anything. The whereabouts of Casey and Elliot were on her mind, as always, and she wanted nothing more than to start looking for them. Yet, as hard as it was for her to admit, she realized that finding the Asgard Slayer was the priority mission right now.

'If the Asgard are wiped out,' Olivia thought, casting a gaze at Thor across the table, 'then there'll be no earth for Elliot and Casey to come home to. Jesus, I actually miss hunting scumbags with the rest of the SVU. At least back in those days, things seemed so much more simpler….'

"I take it you didn't see the Asgard Slayer anywhere on your journeys?" O'Neill asked Jacob.

Jacob shook his head. "Sorry, Jack. If it was there, I didn't see it. Which is not to say that it's _not_ there. You've got to understand that Mount Tanis is a massive, sprawling city." He glanced at Olivia. "And the planet does orbit binary suns, Detective Benson, just as you've stated in the report."

Olivia, appreciative of the fact that he confirmed her vision, smiled gratefully at him. Olivia had instantly liked Jacob the moment she had met him, and was massively jealous of Sam that he was her father. Watching them hug warmly in the gate room before had made Olivia feel a twinge of regret that she never had a loving father who cared for her as much as Jacob obviously did for Sam.

"It's enough that you got the gate address of Mount Tanis," Hammond said.

"Yeah, Selmak memorized it," Jacob said. "But it's not going to do you a lot of good. The Mount Tanis gate is heavily guarded, George. And by 'heavily guarded' I don't just mean by just a squad of bored Jaffa. They have a battery of staff cannons permanently aimed at the gate. And the Jaffa guarding it number in the hundreds."

"Shades of Neith," Daniel said with a visible shudder. "Sounds like Mut is every bit the master tactician her sister was."

"Actually, Daniel--no, she isn't," Jacob corrected him. "Whatever genius tactics we're seeing now are merely left over from Neith."

Daniel looked confused. "So if Mut is _not_ a tactician, then that's good, right?"

"From what I've seen of her, Mut is just flat out nuts," Jacob said solemnly. "Think of the worst possible situation: an insane person gets hold of a weapon. Well, this situation is a hundred times worse than that; because, instead of just one weapon, Mut now controls the firepower of an entire intergalactic empire."

"She may not know what she's doing," O'Neill summed up for Jacob, "but she can still cause of hell of a lot of damage."

Jacob nodded. "Exactly, Jack."

"If Mut is as far gone as you say," Janet said, "then there's a good chance that she may not even be aware that she _has_ the Asgard Slayer. Which could work in our favor."

"There's the chance that, having just seized control of the empire, Mut may not have had the time to take stock of her armory yet," Hammond responded. "Thor, you've been mighty quiet. I was wondering what your thoughts were on this."

"Not very good, General Hammond," the Asgard replied. "The presence of a weapon such as this does not bode well for my people."

"Have you, or your people, even heard of such a thing as an Asgard Slayer?" Sam asked.

"No, we have not, Major Carter," Thor said. "And I can not even imagine what design or shape such a weapon might take."

"Well, there's one way of finding out," O'Neill told him. With a glance at Jacob, he added, "We may not be able to gate to Mount Tanis, but we can hitch a ride aboard a--"

"Incoming wormhole!" the voice of Sgt. Harriman said over the speakers, as the SGC went to full alert once more.

"Again?!" O'Neill said. "Oh, for crying out loud, this place is turning into Grand Central Station!"

"Might as well see who's knocking on the door this time," Hammond remarked, as he got up from the table and went downstairs.

Olivia went downstairs to the stargate control room with the rest of the crowd from the conference room. However, before she could go halfway down the steps, someone grabbed her arm and stopped her.

It was Jacob. He waited until they were both alone on the steps, then he said, "I read in the report about what you did for Sam on Kelora, Olivia. You saved her life, just when Nacre was about to cut her open like a damned lab rat. I just wanted to thank you for saving my daughter."

Olivia swelled up with emotion as she shook his hand. "It was my extreme pleasure, Mr. Carter. Sam and I have become very close in the past few days."

"I'm very glad to hear that," Jacob said with a smile. "Oh, and please call me Jacob, ok?"

Olivia nodded. "Jacob it is."

"OH, MY GOD!" Janet cried from the control room.

"Oh, God, no!" Sam said with despair.

"THAT BITCH," O'Neill roared with fury. "THAT STINKING BITCH!"

"Uh-oh," Jacob said, as he and Olivia quickly continued their descent down the steps. "This doesn't sound too good…."

When Olivia arrived in the control room with Jacob, she saw the crowd were all standing around the monitors that hung from the ceiling in front of the massive window. Something had been playing--Olivia just briefly caught an image of a woman--until a burst of static had cut it off.

Sam immediately started looking frantically around. "Liv? Where's Liv? Did she see this?"

"She's right here, Sam," Jacob told her. "She was just speaking with me on the steps. We missed it, whatever it was. What just happened?"

"No," Janet said, shaking her head at Olivia. "You don't need to see this…."

"Yes, she does," O'Neill insisted. "That was her friend, Janet."

"See what?" Olivia asked, her voice trembling. "What happened?"

Daniel stepped out in front of the crowd and came up to Olivia. He firmly grasped both of her hands and held them in his own. "We received a message from the Tok'ra through the stargate," he explained calmly. "The message contained a video packet--a picture and sound message from Her Lord Empress Mut. Mut was making a grand speech, as the Goa'uld are wont to do, and Casey was there; she was in the message with Mut. Um, the end is kind of fuzzy--"

"How can you say that?" McKay asked, shocked. "We all just saw with our own eyes how that poor woman got--"

"We didn't _see _anything!" Sam angrily told him. "The message got cut off at that point, Rodney!"

"Indeed," Teal'c intoned. "It was hard to determine what had occurred at that precise moment."

Hammond turned to Harriman and said, "Run the message again, Walter."

"Yes, sir," Harriman grimly said.

"Brace yourself," Daniel warned Olivia. "It's very hard to watch…."

Olivia girded herself as the screens showed the imposing face of Mut. Olivia recognized the woman from the vision she had inadvertently received when Neith had used the ribbon device on her.

"My fellow citizens of the Neitian Empire," Mut intoned. "I offer you grave news. We have found, hidden among our ranks here in Mount Tanis, a Tauri spy!"

Olivia's eyes grew wide with horror when the image shifted to that of a young, bound and gagged woman who was clad in what appeared to be skimpy slave garb. Then Olivia let out a sharp gasp when she realized that she knew who the woman was.

It was Casey.

Mut pulled out a knife and placed it against Casey's exposed throat. Casey let out a muffled scream as she tried to struggle--but between her bonds, and the two Jaffa warriors who held her, it was a futile gesture.

"First the Tauri have cowardly assassinated my beloved sister Neith," Mut continued. "And now they send their wretched spies into our cherished capital! With these actions, the Tauri have proven themselves to be the scourge of the galaxy, and the time has finally come to cleanse the heavens of them! We are at war until the planet earth is wiped clean of the Tauri scourge. And we begin now with this wretched spy! Kel mal tak Tauri!"

"NO!" Olivia screamed, just as she watched Mut raise her blade to slit Casey's throat. Daniel pulled her in close as Olivia hugged him tightly.

Then it appeared Mut was halted by a shout from a male voice, and then the picture burst into static.

"Shol'va--traitor," Teal'c said, translating for the group. "That was what the second voice shouted just before the end."

"You think somebody may have tried a coup attempt right there?" Hammond asked him.

Teal'c shrugged his shoulders. "Anything I say now would be conjecture, General Hammond. But I believe that is the most likely reason why the message was interrupted in the manner that it was."

Sam stared hopefully at Olivia. "So Casey might have been saved, Liv."

"If nothing else, Liv, we didn't see her die right then and there," Daniel told her. "So there's still hope."

Olivia wanted nothing more than to sit down and cry right now. But she could not give in to despair. Not now.

"At least we now know where Casey is," she said quietly. "On Mount Tanis. Maybe Elliot's there, too."

"I'd be willing to bet on that," Daniel told her.

"Jack, George, if we're gonna go--the sooner, the better," Jacob told them. "From the looks of things, not everybody in Mount Tanis is happy with Mut being in charge. And if that's the case, then we'll be dealing with a lot of chaos once we get there."

"Sometimes a little chaos is a good thing," O'Neill said. "Especially if you're sneaking into a place under the radar. But I agree with Jacob, sir. We need to get going now."

Hammond nodded. "Very well, you have a--"

He was cut off when yet another alert blared in the control room.

"Oh jeez!" O'Neill said, annoyed. "Now what?!"

"Maybe we should start charging a toll for use of the stargate," Satterfield jokingly suggested.

"It's not the stargate, sir," Harriman said, as he regarded the computer screen on his console. "We have an incoming message from NORAD. NASA's deep space satellite telescopes have picked up five Ha'tak Class Goa'uld ships on an attack vector headed straight for earth."

"Five?!" Hammond said, shocked.

The moment of stunned silence in the control room was broken by Thor, who murmured, "Interesting."

O'Neill glanced down at the Asgard, who more than made up in technology and firepower what he may have lacked in physical height. "You wanna go see what they want, little buddy? I mean, as long as you're here…."

"Yes, O'Neill," Thor said with a slight nod. "Let's go greet them."

Olivia was startled when Thor, O'Neill and Teal'c all vanished from the control room within a flash of light.

**SG-1: SVU**

There was the familiar flash of light, and O'Neill found himself back aboard Thor's ship with Teal'c. O'Neill noted that, out of SG-1, only Teal'c had joined him.

"You wanted to travel light this time, huh?" O'Neill asked Thor, who was seated at the central control console.

"I did not wish to risk any more people than I absolutely needed to, O'Neill," the Asgard replied. "Just in case this encounter turns bad for us."

"You both outgun and outclass them, Thor. Why would this--?" O'Neill started to ask, until it hit him. Goa'uld Ha'tak ships wouldn't openly attack earth unless they thought they had an advantage. And the only advantage would be: "The Asgard Slayer. You think these guys are armed with that thing?"

"If they are," Thor said, reading his console, "I see no indication of it on long range sensors."

"If they have the Asgard Slayer, then this combat may well be very brief," Teal'c grimly said.

"Well, thank you very much, Mr. Cheerful!" O'Neill shot back at him.

Teal'c merely cocked an eyebrow at O'Neill.

"Here they come," Thor said.

O'Neill and Teal'c glanced up at the main window, which displayed the impressive sight of five Ha'tak ships in tight formation rapidly approaching. They all bore the insignia of Neith: twin crossed arrows over a shield.

"Mut doesn't waste any time, does she?" O'Neill muttered. "Barely five minutes after she declares war, we're under attack."

"A sign of rashness, perhaps?" Teal'c asked.

"Or testing our defenses?" O'Neill countered. "We'll see in a moment."

"Goa'u'd vessels," Thor called out to the attacking ships, "your very presence in this system is in direct violation of the treaty of--"

He never got to finish. Right at that moment, all five Ha'tak ships opened fire on the Asgard vessel. The advanced shield technology of Thor's vessel prevented any of the missiles and lasers from hitting. Still, it provided for an impressive light show as the multiple explosions flashed and flared against the invisible shield in front of them.

"You get the feeling they don't like us?" O'Neill asked Teal'c.

"The feeling," Thor said, as he pressed a button, "is mutual."

The Asgard vessel opened fire at that moment, and it was a sight to behold. One laser beam blasted it's way straight through one of the Ha'tak vessels, destroying it instantly in an exploding fireball. With that ship gone, Thor focused on a second, striking it with two lasers until that also exploded as well.

The remaining three Ha'taks halted their advance and continued to fire at the Asgard vessel. When Thor effortlessly blew away a third Ha'tak, the surviving Goa'uld ships did the only thing they could do.

They retreated.

"Good shooting," O'Neill said, genuinely impressed.

Thor sat back in his seat. "They did not appear to be armed with any Asgard Slayer that I could detect."

"Unless the Asgard Slayer is an antipersonnel weapon," Teal'c said. "One that must be used directly on an Asgard."

"Chances are, Hammond's right," O'Neill told him. "Mut may not have had time to check her arsenal yet. Which is all the more reason we need to get to Mount Tanis, ASAP. Thor, old buddy, care to give us a ride?"

"I believe it shall be better if I remained on guard here, O'Neill," Thor replied. "In case Earth falls under attack again."

"Guard our flanks," O'Neill said with a nod. "Good tactic. Ok. We'll hitch a ride to Mount Tanis with Jacob."

"Good luck, O'Neill," Thor said.

There was another brillant flash of light, and O'Neill and Teal'c found themselves standing in the SGC control room once more.

**SG-1: SVU**

What neither O'Neill, Teal'c, Thor, and the assaulting Goa'uld never realized was that their brief battle had been closely watched by a third party. Floating within the orbit of Mars was a surveillance satellite that was so small, it could easily fit within the palm of a hand. It was also camouflaged to look like an asteroid--just another floating hunk of rock that drifted through space.

And so it did for the most part, just floating around aimlessly just like any other asteroid--until the very moment that it detected the epic space battle, the mini satellite immediately trained its telescopic camera on the distant conflict. The camera was designed to pick up the slightest details of an object that was millions of miles away. And so the still pictures it took of the battle were crystal-clear in their clarity.

Once the battle in the Sol system was over, the little satellite spun around, and a small dish spread open on its backside. The very pictures that it took were then light-beamed to a relay station in the orbit of Pluto. The relay station was no larger than a toaster, and was also disguised to look like an asteroid. It stored the pictures in its memory and sent out a special automated signal into deep space. It kept doing this, over and over, until an Alkesh ship streaked by close to the orbit of Pluto.

The Alkesh never even slowed as it caught the message that was beamed to it from the mini-relay station. Once the message was received in full, the crew spun the ship around and raced back home.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Chevron Five, locked!"

Olivia stood waiting impatiently before the stargate as it dialed out. She was clad in a light tan desert version of their BDUs, as was the rest of SG-1. Sam and Daniel stood with her. Hailey and Satterfield were directly across from them, with Teal'c--who had his staff weapon slung casually over his shoulder.

"Chevron six, locked!" Harriman called over the speakers.

O'Neill conferred quietly with Jacob. The plan was to gate to the planet where Jacob had parked his teltac ship. Then, using the teltac, Jacob would pilot them to Mount Tanis. Assessing the situation as best they can, SG-1 would try and either retrieve or destroy the Asgard Slayer.

"Chevron seven, locked!"

The stargate roared mightly as the newly created event horizon exploded outwards momentarily, before settling down.

"Godspeed, people," Hammond said over the intercom.

"All right, SG-1," O'Neill said. "Let's saddle up and go."

'Retreive or destroy the Asgard Slayer,' Olivia thought, as she walked up the ramp towards the event horizon. That was the main mission. But once she arrived at Mount Tanis, Olivia and the rest of SG-1 would also be looking for Elliot and Casey.

'Casey, sweetie, please hang on,' Olivia thought. 'We're coming for you.'

Of course, Olivia grimly realized that there was the very good chance that Casey was already dead. She may have just witnessed Casey's death at the hands of Mut in that message.

'If Casey _is_ dead,' Olivia darkly thought, just before she stepped into the glimmering stargate, 'then God have mercy on the psycho bitch who killed her. Because, if I get my hands on Mut, I won't show any mercy at all!'

**SG-1: SVU**

The intelligence officers who collected the data from the asteroid satellite quickly examined it and determined that the pictures needed to be seen by their lord immediately. Thankfully, their lord and master was available for a meeting, and he listened with rapt attention as they showed him the pictures of the battle in the earth system between the Asgard ship and the Ha'tak vessels.

Once the briefing was done, their lord stood up from his chair and walked over to view one of the pictures up close on the wall. It was a photo of one of the Ha'tak vessels that fought the Asgard--and it had an insignia that had not been seen in this part of the galaxy for eons: two arrows crossed over a shield.

"The insignia of Neith," he said. His goatee curled up at the edges as he smiled thoughtfully. "It appears that the great huntress of the heavens has returned."

He then strode away from the pictures on the wall and gazed out the window, which showed the vastness of space.

"Interesting," Ba'al said, sounding bemused. "Very interesting…."

**To Be Continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

_My thanks to piecesofyourheart, Barbarossa Rotbart, MiaRose 156 and DJ Scales for their kind words. _

_Welcome back, piecesofyourheart, hope college is going well for you. _

**Stargate: SVU**

**Chapter Seven**

'This is not my week,' Casey thought miserably, as she writhed against her bonds. 'Oh, hell, who am I kidding? This just hasn't been my _year_!'

Casey had been bound to a stone pillar in the private quarters of Mut. She stood with her back up against the pillar, her wrists pulled behind her by a length of rope that was slung around the back of the pillar. She was still gagged.

Casey bent one leg up and pressed her bare foot against the hard marble of the pillar while she once more tried to pull her wrists free. But all her effort seemed to do was to only make her bonds tighter, and so she stopped.

'You crazy bitch,' Casey thought, as she leaned back wearily and watched Mut. Her Lord Empress paced around her private quarters in a constant rage; she ranted, screamed and whined about the horrid fact that several of her beloved Jaffa had turned on her. The very same Jaffa to whom Casey owed her life.

Casey had thought she was a goner earlier, when Mut placed the knife on her neck during the live empire-wide message she had sent out. Yet, just before Mut could slit Casey's throat, one of the Jaffa had called out something in their language. And then he raised his staff weapon up and aimed it right at Mut.

Several things happened all at once. Mut ran screaming from the podium, while the two Jaffa who had held up Casey instantly released her. Casey, who had been bound hand and foot, let out a little whimper as she helplessly fell toward the hard floor--until she was caught by Io'tan, who gently laid her down before diving for cover. Casey then lay timidly on the floor while a wild firefight erupted right over her. It was a miracle that she had not been hit.

When it was over, Elliot/Ke'tesh appeared, barking orders at the Jaffa to remove the bodies of the traitorous Jaffa who had opened fire on them. Then he saw the bound Casey on the floor, and pulled out a knife.

Before he could even threaten Casey with the knife, Elliot/Ke'tesh was stopped by Io'tan, who asked him just what did he think he was doing.

"Who are you to _dare_ to question me, woman?" Elliot/Ke'tesh snarled, his eyes glowing.

"I am the First Prime of Her Lord Empress Mut," Io'tan calmly shot back. "And if you ever presume to order my Jaffa around again, or speak back to me in that tone, I shall have your tongue removed from your mouth--by a thunder lizard. Do you understand me?"

Elliot/Ke'tesh had quickly backed off, placing his knife in a sheath, as he abruptly whirled around and stalked away.

Io'tan had ordered Casey to be brought with her--until Mut had returned. No longer fearful, Mut was now filled with royal rage as she commanded the Jaffa to take Casey to her private quarters, where she had been lashed to one of the pillars like a prized captured beast that had been placed on public display. What made it even worse was that Casey was terribly thirsty, and there was a pitcher of cool water on a table within arm's reach of her.

'Dying of thirst with water so close and yet so far out of reach,' Casey thought miserably. 'So this is what hell is like….'

Casey leaned back against the pillar and carefully watched Mut as she continued to rage on about the sheer nerve of the rebel Jaffa--the very men who, by giving their lives, had saved Casey's--who dared to defy her. Io'tan stood nearby, nodding her head and agreeing with every outlandish statement Mut said in an effort to placate the hysterical Empress.

Casey actually didn't mind listening to Mut's constant screaming and raging. Because, for as long as she ranted like a lunatic, that meant that Mut ignored Casey. And as long as Casey was ignored, the longer she stayed alive--even if it meant being trussed to a pillar like an animal.

But then Elliot/Ke'tesh appeared, and he coolly gazed at Casey as he strode over to Mut. Then he glared with hatred at Io'tan--while making sure that she wasn't looking--and if looks could kill, Io'tan probably would have been obliterated right then and there.

'Io'tan had better watch her back--literally!' Casey thought. Since the woman had tried to help Casey in any way she could on two separate occasions now, she began to see Io'tan as being a possible ally.

"What do you want?!" Mut screamed at Elliot/Ke'tesh.

"I was simply concerned for you, my Lord Empress," Ke'tesh said, with a grand bow. "Your comfort is my sole purpose for living."

'Oh, give me a break!' Casey thought, as she rolled her eyes in disbelief. She was pleased to see that even Io'tan stared scornfully at him.

"For example, my Lord Empress," Elliot/Ke'tesh continued. "It is not wise for you to have a wild animal like that here in your personal quarters. She may get loose and harm you!"

It took a moment for Casey to realize that the 'wild animal' whom Elliot/Ke'tesh had referred to was _her_. 'You rat bastard!' Casey thought, as she glared indignantly back at him over her gag.

Mut waved her hand at Casey. "That Tauri wench is the least of my problems now. Come, Io'tan! We have sedition running loose in the Netian Empire, and we must find a way to quell it before it gets worse!"

When they left the private quarters, Casey expected Elliot/Ke'tesh to run after them like the butt-kissing lapdog that he was. However, he remained behind--and the way he stared at Casey made her nervous.

'Uh-oh,' Casey thought, as Ke'tesh came over to her.

He stood right next to the bound woman, and the way he glared hatefully at her, it was hard for Casey to remember that this was the body of a man whom she had considered a close friend.

Casey cringed in terror when Elliot/Ke'tesh pulled out his knife. So this was it. He would finish her off here, without any interference from Io'tan. Casey wondered who would find her bound body hanging from this pillar, with her throat slit. Helpless to avoid her doom, she closed her eyes, and hoped that at least it would not be painful.

But when Elliot/Ke'tesh thrust out with his blade, the target was not Casey's throat. Casey opened her eyes, stunned to finally be able to pull her hands from around the sides of the pillar. She stared up at Elliot/Ke'tesh with shock when she discovered that he had cut her wrists loose.

The first thing Casey did was to pull off her gag and run over to the pitcher of water. She poured herself a cup and downed it instantly. The water actually tasted delicious! Elliot/Ke'tesh watched her with a slight smile as she poured herself a second cup and drank that.

'Could Elliot still be in there?' Casey wondered, as she wiped water from her mouth and chin. 'Could he be fighting that thing that controls his body? Is that why he cut me loose?'

"You should run," Elliot/Ke'tesh told her.

"Why?" Casey asked.

"So it will make me look all the more better when I recapture you," Elliot/Ke'tesh replied, his smile now turning into a broad grin. "JAFFA, HOL! THE TAURI SPY HAS ESCAPED!"

"Damn you!" Casey snarled at him. She turned and ran for her life through the opened doorway.

As she ran down the corridor, Casey realized that Elliot/Ke'tesh had merely released her as a means of making himself look better in the eyes of Mut. Once he recaptured the 'evil Tauri spy,' Casey Novak, Mut might start taking the advice of his new lapdog more seriously in the future. He was simply using Casey to worm his way into favor with Mut.

It was the same sort of office politics that Casey had seen played out a million times at work--set up somebody else to make yourself look better--but here, they were playing with people's lives; namely Casey's.

Still, despite the reasons, Casey wasn't going to let this chance to escape slip away. She kept running until she reached a crowded junction. A woman who was clad in an elaborate gold dress let out a scream of horror at the mere sight of her. Other people pointed their fingers at Casey in disgust and fear as she backed away from them, all while looking around her desperately for a way out. One man shouted, "Jaffa, hol! Escaped slave!"

Casey didn't know how they instantly knew she was a slave; perhaps her scant outfit indicated her lowly rank--she'd noted other people in the crowds, both men and women, who were dressed just as skimpily as she was, and who walked behind their more gaudier-dressed masters with the humble gait of a lowly servant. Of course, the fact that she was wildly running for her life may also be another indication to this bunch that Casey might be trouble.

When one of the men reached out to grab her, Casey deftly avoided his grasp and ducked into an empty corridor to her left. She didn't know what was at the end of this corridor, and she didn't care--Casey had to get away from that angry crowd, who were seemingly insulted just by the very sight of her. And so she ran once more.

'On earth, in New York City, I prosecuted those who committed crimes; while here, I'm one of the lowliest of the low,' Casey thought, not without some irony, as she kept running. 'How the mighty have fallen. I should at least be grateful that I have no Jaffa after me.'

A loud hiss from behind her made Casey glance over her bare shoulder, and what she saw caused her eyes to bulge wide in terror.

A golden-armored Jaffa, with a serpent's helmet on his head, rode after her on a hideous monster that looked like one of the dinosaurs out of Jurassic Park. The beast let out another hiss as it bared a mouthful of fangs at Casey.

For her part, Casey whimpered fearfully as she kept wildly running--even though a little panicky voice at the back of her mind told her she would never outrun that monstrosity. She could hear it gaining on her, and even feel its hot breath on her bare back. Panic-driven, she ran through the first doorway she saw--

--only it was not really a doorway.

Casey let out a shriek as the floor abruptly fell away from her feet. And then she was tumbling head over heels in midair. When she saw the pool of water rushing up to greet her, Casey took a deep breath and held it as she dived through the clear water.

Once she broke the surface, Casey swam over to the side of the pool that was the closest. She was grateful that the man-made pool had been deep enough to safely support her fall.

Thankfully, there was nobody around the pool. When Casey heard a roar, she glanced up and saw the Jaffa and his pet dinosaur standing on the edge of the terrance that she had just jumped off of. It appeared to be a built-in diving platform for the pool.

"HAH!" Casey shouted at them with a broad smile. "What's the matter, you guys can't swim?!"  
Her smile faded when the Jaffa expertly pulled out his staff weapon and aimed it at her.

'It never ends, does it,' Casey grimly thought, as she dived for cover under a stone bench as the ground around her erupted into explosions from the Jaffa's staff weapon.

**SG-1: SVU**

When they heard the general alarm sound in the main corridor, Io'tan and Mut started to run back to the private quarters of Her Lord Empress, until they encountered Ke'tesh.

"It is just as I have warned," Ke'tesh gravely said, shaking his head as he strode up to them. "The Tauri spy has escaped."

"Escaped?!" Mut cried, outraged. "How could this be? She was properly lashed to the column!"

"She had some sort of weapon hidden on her person," Ke'tesh replied, "which she used to cut her bonds."  
"Really?" a skeptical Io'tan asked. "And where on her person did she have this blade?"

When Ke'tesh shot her an angry glare, Io'tan knew she had caught him in a lie.

Mut abruptly turned to Io'tan and angrily demanded, "Why do you question the word of Ke'tesh?"

"My Lord Empress," Io'tan said, surprised. "I highly doubt that the Novak woman was able to conceal a blade within the folds of her scant outfit."

"You should not blame Ke'tesh for your lackluster service," Mut admonished. "It turns out that he was right after all."

Io'tan was now stunned. "My Lord Empress, I--"

Seizing the moment, Ke'tesh suddenly bowed. "I would be honored to lead the Jaffa who are hunting the Tauri spy, my Lord Empress."

Mut nodded. "Yes, Ke'tesh, you may do so."

"I shall bring her back alive, my Lord Empress!"

Mut waved her hand. "Alive, dead--I do not care. Just so she is no longer running about on the royal grounds."

Ke'tesh bowed once more. "As you wish, my Lord Empress."

Before he left, Ke'tesh shot Io'tan a nasty smile.

'Score one for you,' Io'tan thought, as she watched him eagerly run off.

"You shall no longer question the judgment of Ke'tesh," Mut ordered. "This I now command from you."

"Not even when he is wrong?" Io'tan asked.

"He is a Goa'uld," Mut said, her eyes flashing. "We are never wrong. Mind that fact, Io'tan, if you wish to remain as my First Prime."

Mut abruptly took her leave of Io'tan, who stood and stared thoughtfully after her Lord Empress for a long while. 'And so it comes down to this,' she thought. 'My many years of service, and loyal advice is ignored in favor of a stranger…simply because he is a fellow Goa'uld. Very well.'

Io'tan walked towards her own private quarters, where she summoned Char'el, a Jaffa who was in her personal service. He had been rejected from the warrior caste because his Battlemaster had deemed him to be too emotionally unstable. But Io'tan knew better; she realized that Cha'nel had nearly went mad with grief when he lost his entire family to a plague on his homeworld. The man was still an efficient warrior.

Char'el arrived barely minutes after Io'tan had summoned him. Completely bald, he had a goatee that had gone slightly gray with age and was clad in the golden armour of the Mounted Jaffa.

Io'tan regarded this mountain of a man with a slight smile. 'For him to be punished--and humiliated--just because he showed grief at his family's death was wrong,' she thought. 'Yet it was still fortunate for me, for I wound up with such a fine speciem of a Jaffa as this in my service.'

"Do you know the Tauri woman named Casey Novak?" Io'tan asked him.

Char'el nodded. "I do."

"She has escaped. I want you to find her before the others do, and bring her here, to me--alive, and unharmed," Io'tan told him. "And no one must know of this. Do you understand? You must capture her in total secrecy, Char'el. Understood?"

Char'el nodded once more. "Yes, my mistress."

"Then go, and good hunting to you, Char'el."

When he left, Io'tan stared thoughtfully out the window. 'Mut may well drag this empire down with her stupidity,' she thought. 'Yet her Lord Empress shall not drag _everybody_ down with her. Not if I can help it.'

**SG-1: SVU**

The teltac ship had been quiet, and comfortable, enough for Olivia to take a very long nap. And she'd needed it. Thanks to the events of the past day, Olivia had been awake for almost 30 hours.

She had gone to sleep all by herself. But when she woke up in her sleeping bag on the floor of the teltac's cargo section, Olivia was amused to see that she was not alone. Grace Satterfield slept in the sleeping bag right next to Olivia, with Jenny Hailey sound asleep beside her. Sam was sleeping directly to Olivia's right, and, across from them, on the other side of the cargo hold, Daniel slept soundly in his sleeping bag while Teal'c sat cross-legged beside him on the floor, deep in his kelno'reem.

Olivia sat up and stretched her arms. She stopped suddenly when she heard Satterfield was rapidly whispering in her sleep.

"No, noooo," Satterfield said softly in her sleep, sounding like a child. "Put the fire out…put it _out_…."

Olivia watched her with a mixture of fascination and pity. She wondered what the young lieutenant was dreaming about. It looked more like she was having a bad dream--and considering some of the horrifying things that the SG teams have had to deal with on a daily basis, Olivia certainly didn't blame Satterfield for having a nightmare.

"Will they be all right?" Satterfield plaintively asked, still trapped in her dream. "Will they?"

Olivia reached out and gently rubbed the woman's arm. "It'll be all right, Grace," she whispered. "Easy, now. Just take it--"

Olivia was startled when the still-slumbering Satterfield grabbed her hand and pulled it close to her face.

'Oh great,' Olivia thought, as she awkwardly sat with the sleeping Satterfield clutching her hand. "Um, Grace…?"

Satterfield awoke with a start. "Oh my God," Satterfield said, shocked, as she quickly released Olivia's hand. "I-I'm so sorry!"

Olivia shook her head. "It's not a problem, hon. You ok?"

Satterfield nodded as she quickly got to her feet. "Uh, I-I'm gonna go make coffee…."

"Look, it's no big--" Olivia started to say. But Satterfield, still in her stockinged feet, had already run over to where all of the provisions were stored and got busy making the coffee.

"Oh, yeah," Olivia whispered, as she put her head in her hands. "Great going, Liv…."

Sam shifted suddenly in her sleeping bag, and Olivia felt a hand on her arm. "What's wrong?" Sam asked, sounding half-asleep.

"Just sticking my nose in somebody else's business, Sam, as usual," Olivia said despondently.

Sam affectionately rubbed Olivia's arm with her hand. "But, Liv," she said, with her eyes still closed. "That's what you do best!?"

"Oh, har-de-har-har," Olivia sarcastically said right in Sam's face. "Very funny!"

Sam made a disgusted expression as she started fanning air with her hand. "Ugh, morning breath!"

"Oh, for…." Olivia muttered, annoyed, as she got to her feet. "Forget it."

"I'm kidding!" Sam said, laughing. "I'm just kidding, Liv!"

"How do you know if it's even morning, here, anyway?" Olivia asked.

"It's five fifteen a.m.--earth time," Jenny suddenly announced, as she regarded her watch. "Was Grace talking in her sleep again?"

Satterfield looked up from making the coffee with a startled expression. "I'm sorry, all right?" she said defensively. "I am _so_ sorry if my babbling woke everybody up, ok?!"

"Hello!" Daniel said, as he awoke with a start. "What'd I miss?"

O'Neill appeared in the doorway. "Hey, what happened to nap time back here? What did you do now, Liv?"

"Me?!" Olivia said, shocked. "How did it get to be my fault?"

"You bring this slumber party atmosphere with you wherever we go, Liv," O'Neill jokingly said. "It's really got to stop. Now, everybody go back to sleep. Don't you kids make me come back here again!"

Satterfield paused in making the coffee. "Is that an order, sir? Do you want me to stop and go back to sleep?"

"No, you keep making the coffee," he told her. "You have the important job."

Daniel raised his hand. "Um, actually, Jack, I _like_ the slumber party atmosphere…."

"Indeed," Teal'c intoned, with his eyes still closed.

"Are we there, yet, sir?" Sam asked, as she wearily sat up.

"She sounds exactly like she did back when we took that trip to Great Adventure when she was eight!" Jacob called back from the pilot's seat. "All she kept asking from the back seat was 'We there yet, Daddy? Daddy? Are we there yet?!'"

"Ooohhh man," Sam muttered, as she shook her head in humiliation. She glanced at Olivia and miserably said, "Nothing like having your dad along on a special ops mission, reminding everybody what a little brat you were as a kid…."

"Guess what, Sam?" Jacob called back. "You're _still_ a little brat!"

"At least I don't have a snake in my head!" Sam responded, smiling.

"I heard that," Jacob called, "and so did Selmak! He says that, despite that remark, he's still very fond of you."

Olivia couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably at the banter.

"Here's your damned coffee," Satterfield muttered, as she placed a cup on the floor next to Hailey, who still laid in her sleeping bag.

Hailey shot her a puzzled look. "Why are you pissed at me, for?"

"Because you're you, Jenny," Satterfield said sweetly. She bent down and handed Olivia a cup. "For you, Detective Benson."

"Thanks," Olivia said, as she gratefully accepted the cup. "And please, call me Liv."

Satterfield smiled at her. "Call me Grace, then."

"Um, at the risk of being called a little brat," Daniel said, as he finished tying his boots. "_Are_ we there yet, Jack?"

"We're less than an hour out," O'Neill told him. He nodded his thanks as Satterfield handed him a cup of java. "So it's just as well that everybody's getting up now, anyway."

"Oh, Daniel," Olivia called.

He paused on his way to get some coffee. "Yeah?"

"Brat!" Olivia said, just before she took a sip from her cup.

"Yeah, right," Daniel replied, smiling. "Thanks so much for that!"

Sam chuckled as she slipped her boots on. Olivia watched, still sipping her coffee, as Grace offered some coffee to Teal'c, who politely declined. Then Olivia's good mood was shattered when she saw Teal'c somberly put on his combat vest and strap on his weapons. Next to him, Daniel did the same thing.

When Olivia glanced around and saw Jenny and Sam were also putting on their combat gear as well, the silly slumber party atmosphere that she had enjoyed had suddenly drained away from her. In that moment, Olivia was abruptly reminded that they were on their way to a hostile planet--the capital of an interplanetary empire, on the surface which were two of her closest friends, and Olivia didn't even know if Elliot and Casey were even still alive.

'And here I am, laughing and joking around like I'm in frigging summer camp!' Olivia grimly joined the others in getting fully dressed in combat gear. When Grace had returned, after delivering a cup of coffee to Jacob, she also began to suit up in her full combat gear.

"Hey, Liv?"

Olivia, now completely dressed, turned to see that it was O'Neill who had called her. He stood a distance away from her, in the center of the cargo hold. He waved at her to come over to him.

When Olivia did so, she'd noted that they were the only ones left in the cargo hold. Everyone else had went up front to see Jacob. "Yeah?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you got real quiet all of a sudden," O'Neill said. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she replied, with a heavy sigh. "Just getting ready to hit Mount Tanis, y'know?"

"It's just a recon mission," O'Neill assured her. "If we find the Asgard Slayer, and can either take it or destroy it, fine. But if we don't, then we're bugging right out. This mission isn't about us taking on the entire Netian Empire."

"Oh, I realize that," Olivia said.

"But still, if you're nervous about it--"

Olivia shook her head. "It's not that, Jack. Um, I was reminded of Casey and Elliot just now, and--well, I guess I was just feeling a little guilty about goofing off. I mean, here I am clowning around; not knowing if they're even alive…."

O'Neill nodded. "I understand. Keep in mind that we're just under an hour away from Mount Tanis, now. And, while a search and rescue isn't technically a part of our mission, that'll be exactly what we _will _be doing once we hit the ground. I promise you that we'll do everything humanly possible to find them, Olivia, and bring them back home."

"Thanks, Jack." Olivia appreciated what he said, and while she did feel better--a part of her grimly realized that both Elliot and Casey needed to be still alive in order to be rescued.

And that was the only thing she was truly praying for right now: for Elliot and Casey to be alive and well when they did find them.

**SG-1: SVU**

Char'el surveyed the damage to the pool that was done by the mounted Jaffa. There were smoldering craters all over the tiled surface--but there was something else, as well. The tiles were damp in places. Upon further inspection, Char'el saw the damp spots were in fact footprints, which led away from the pool and underneath one of the stone benches.

What happened had now become clear to Char'el: after falling into the pool, Casey Novak had gotten out and hid under the stone bench. A glance underneath told Char'el that his quarry was not there. But she _had_ been there; the damp tiles told him that.

The stone bench was pressed up against the edge of a balcony. Char'el peered over the railing and saw more wet footprints on the stone ground below. They ran straight into a storage area that was underneath the pool.

'I have you,' Char'el thought with a smile.

Just as he climbed over the railing, Char'el heard laughter from several of the mounted Jaffa behind him. "Hol! Char'el is off on an important mission," one of them said. "He picks flowers for his mistress, Io'tan!"

"Careful," another Jaffa warned. "Hurt his feelings, and you could cause him to weep like an old woman!"

Although his honor was offended, Char'el ignored the jibes from the other warriors and dropped down to where Casey Novak had gone. In point of fact, he _was_ on a mission from Io'tan. But as he followed the Tauri woman's wet footprints into the storage space, Char'el could not help but reflect on the incident that had brought him dishonor.

It was several years ago, when he had returned to his home planet, after spending a very successful campaign with his Jaffa unit quelling a rebellion on the miner's moon of Relfos, that Char'el had strode into his village, arms loaded with gifts for his mother and sisters. It didn't take him long to see that something was dreadfully wrong in the village; many of the homes had been burnt to the ground, and the village seemed empty of people. Once he saw that his home, where his mother and four sisters lived, had also been burnt to cinders, Char'el was devastated.

A neighbor told him that the village had been ravaged by a plague, and that the homes of the infected were burned down to the ground. Char'el's mother and sisters--the only family he had left--were all gone. He went insane with rage and grief at that moment, and had tried to take his own life with his own knife, until his comrades stopped him. His Jaffa unit leader, disgusted by this display of grief by Char'el, had ordered him to be arrested and executed.

Char'el didn't care; he had wanted to die, anyway, and being executed simply granted his wish. But he had barely spent a day in the dungeon when his order of execution had been overturned by none other than Lord Battlemaster Amun himself. Amun had reassigned Char'el to be a guard for the then-High Priestess Mut. When Char'el walked into the High Priestess' chambers for the first time, he met Io'tan, who introduced him to an army of young High Priestesses in training.

And in that moment, Char'el had realized that, while the gods had taken away his family, they had given him another. He had a new mother in the form of Io'tan, and a slew of little sisters in the form of the High Priestesses. That realization gave Char'el a renewed sense of purpose--especially when many of the High Priestesses began to affectionately refer to him as 'Big Brother Char'el.'

Char'el felt as if he had come home again.

As he stood in the storage space, which had unused chairs and carpeting stashed all over, Char'el smiled when he saw the wet footprints--which were half-faded from having started to dry--lead right behind a column.

"Casey Novak," he called. "I know you are in here. There is no other way out of here. You are trapped."

She had jumped out from behind the column just then, holding a metal pole that she had no doubt found from the pile of rusted railing parts in the corner. Her hair was wet and slicked back against her head, and she stood holding up the pole defiantly, as if it were a weapon.

"You're _not_ taking me back there," she snarled at him.

Char'el marveled at her courage. For although she was clad in a slave's scant garments, her spirit was still indomitable. He thought about shooting her with his zat'nik'tel--but the sound that it made, along with the flashing, might draw the attention of the Mounted Jaffa above them. Char'el could still hear them talking and laughing from down here.

So Char'el went on the attack.

Novak swung the pole at him, but Char'el grabbed it and effortlessly pulled it out of her grasp. Then he grabbed her and tossed the woman face-down on a pile of rolled up carpets. Using strips of leather that he kept handy on his person, Char'el quickly and easily bound the Novak woman's wrists and ankles--for although her spirit was strong, physically, Novak was no match for him.

As he tore a piece of clean cloth for use to gag the woman with, Char'el paused when he saw Novak had started crying.

"I'm not a slave," Novak said. Even through her tears, the woman was still as defiant as ever. "I will _never_ be a slave, no matter what you people do to me!"

After he gagged her, Char'el removed one of the rolled up carpets and unrolled it on the floor. He then placed Novak on the carpet, and then said, "If the rest of your people are as spirited as you, then I have no doubt that the Tauri will one day rule the universe."

Novak stared wide-eyed at him, stunned, as Char'el rolled her up in the carpet. He then lifted the carpet and placed it on his shoulder.

As he carried the rolled up carpet back up to the pool, Char'el strode past the Mounted Jaffa, who had been joined by an infantry group that was led by Ke'tesh, the newly returned Goa'uld.

"You, there!" Ke'tesh said to Char'el. "Have you seen the Tauri woman?"

"I have not, my Lord," Char'el said respectfully. "I was merely getting a new carpet for my mistress, Io'tan."

Once he said that, the gathered Jaffa all burst into derisive laughter at him.

"Io'tan has him playing house!" one of them said, giggling. "What shall you retrieve next for your mistress, Char'el? Drapes?"

"If need be," Char'el calmly replied.

"SILENCE!" Ke'tesh roared at them, his eyes flaring brightly. "The Tauri spy is still on the loose! Fan out from this point and find her, now! Shoot her dead on sight!"

"If you'll excuse me, my Lord," Char'el said, with a slight bow. "But my mistress expects me back soon."

"Yes, yes." Ke'tesh absently waved him off. "Go run along and serve your mistress!"

'Yes, I shall serve my mistress,' Char'el happily thought, as he walked away with Casey Novak safely tucked over his shoulder. 'I shall serve my mistress, Io'tan, with extreme pleasure.'

**SG-1: SVU**

"Ok," Jacob said, "here we go. Liv, just take a gander and see if anything looks familiar."

Olivia was startled at the sight before her. The main window in front of the pilot's console showed a bird's eye view of Mount Tanis, which they presently hovered over in cloaked mode. The vast complex of temples and buildings seen from this angle appeared to Olivia as an abstract piece of artwork that was filled with square shapes of varying sizes.

"I realize it might be hard to visualize anything this way," Jacob said. "But if you can spot anything familiar from up here, it'll eliminate a lot of the legwork in Mount Tanis itself."

"We don't want to be wandering around too much down there, if we can help it," O'Neill added.

"I understand," Olivia said, as she squinted at a large temple-like structure on the very edge of the city. She thought back to the vision that Neith had inadvertently given her when she attacked Olivia with the ribbon device. Olivia recalled seeing a desert filled with massive pyramid-shaped ships in the vision. She glanced around the periphery of the city, until she saw a similar looking fleet of ships on the ground, just off to the southwest. "There. I remember seeing a fleet of landed ships in the vision. And that's the only area here with them."

"Dad, can we get in closer?" Sam asked.

"Consider it done," Jacob said, as he manipulated the pilot controls.

"I just hope they haven't launched that energy wave," Olivia anxiously muttered. "You know the one you talked about that finds cloaked ships just like this…."

"Believe me, Liv, if they launched _that_ sucker, all of us would know it in an instant," Jacob grimly said.

As they went in closer, Olivia let out a gasp when she saw the flight of stone steps. "I remember, in the vision, Neith walking down those steps, towards those ships out there. There: that broad, open space, right atop of the steps was where she and Mut spoke." She shook her head in disbelief. "Oh God, that light tan building, the one right in front of the open space--that was where I saw the doors being closed on the Asgard Slayer. That's the vault."

"So that's got to be it, then," O'Neill said with a nod. "That light tan building has to be where the Asgard Slayer is."

"Yeah," Olivia replied, as she rubbed the goosebumps on her arms.

Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"

"It's just so weird to actually be seeing this place, Daniel. My memories of it were so--"

"They weren't your memories," he told her. "What you saw were Neith's memories of this place."

"But that's what makes this all so strange," Olivia said. "Remembering something like I had lived it…but it was actually from somebody else."

"Strange that they would have the vault so close to the edge of the complex," Hailey said. "You'd think it would be in the center of the city."

"It might be easier to offload stuff by having it next to where the ships are parked," Jacob suggested.

"Or the vault was one of the original buildings, the first one to be built," Satterfield said. "And the rest of the city was built later."

Jacob had brought them so they were now hovering right over the vault, and Daniel nodded as he gazed out at the building. "Yeah, the vault certainty looks older than the rest of the complex. I'd say you're right, Grace."

"How do we enter?" Teal'c asked.

"Not through those main doors, that's for sure," O'Neill said as he pointed at the dinosaur-riding Jaffa guarding the mammoth doors in front. "Jacob, can you swing around the place, and let us see if there's a back door?"

"Can do," Jacob said. He abruptly pointed at something. "What's that? A tunnel?"

On the desert floor, right beside the staircase, Olivia saw what looked like an entranceway.

"Yeah," Sam said, nodding. "But where's the tunnel leading to? I mean, does it lead directly into the vault?"

"There's only one way to find out," O'Neill said. "Jacob, you want to drop us off right out here?"

"Uh, not in front of that fleet," Daniel said nervously.

"Those ships look like they're not operational, anyway," Hailey commented. "This must be their main shipyard, where they receive maintenance."

"We can still be spotted by the maintenance crews if we land here," Satterfield pointedly said. "Which would be just as bad, right?"

"Well, duh!" Hailey shot back.

"Children, please," O'Neill said, waving his hand at them. "No fighting while Uncle Jacob is trying to drive."

"All right," Jacob muttered thoughtfully, as he turned the teltac towards the desert. "Looks like I'm going to have to drop you guys off out here. It's the only safe spot to land. You can walk to the city."

"We'll take it," O'Neill replied. "Teal'c, Daniel? You want to hand out the robes? They're in the case right over there."

After he landed the teltac behind a large outcropping of rock, Jacob was about to get out of his seat, until O'Neill said, "Why don't you stay with the ship, Jacob? In case things get hairy, we'll radio you, and you can ring us out."

Jacob sat back down, then nodded in agreement. "You expecting trouble, Jack?"

"I always expect trouble, Jacob. That's my job."

Olivia had taken a robe from Teal'c when O'Neill had come up to her. "You've done your job, Liv. Stay here with Jacob."

Olivia thought about it for five seconds before she said, "No."

O'Neill gave her an incredulous look. "No?!"

"You may need an extra gun," Olivia told him, as she continued to get suited up in the bulky robe. It was large enough to fit over her BDU and various gear. "Just in case things go south."

"She has a point," Daniel said. "I'd feel better having her along."

"Indeed," Teal'c added. "Olivia Benson has proven herself to be a formidable warrior."

"Actually, sir," Sam said, "Liv should come along, if she wants to."

When both Hailey and Satterfield started nodding their heads in agreement with Sam, O'Neill held up his hands. "Ok, ok! Liv, you're with us. I just didn't want you to think that you _had_ to go with us."

"I'm a member of SG-1, right?" Olivia asked. "So I go wherever you guys go."

O'Neill nodded at her with a smile as he finished putting his robe on over his BDU. "Fair enough. Let's get going, then." As he walked past Jacob, O'Neill added, "When did I lose control of this team?"

"Don't kid yourself, Jack," Jacob said, smiling. "You never _had_ control. Good luck, everybody."

As soon as Olivia stepped into the dry desert heat, she immediately had second thoughts about joining Jacob in the nice, cool teltac.

'In for a penny, in for a pound,' Olivia thought, as she pulled her hood up over her head and followed the rest of SG-1 as they trudged towards the city of Mount Tanis.

**SG-1: SVU**

The walk to the entranceway was shorter than Sam had expected. Which was just as well, because she was nervous about being out in the open, in full view of the shipyard. The entranceway, next to the steps, was unguarded. Once she and the rest of SG-1 entered, everyone removed their hoods and pulled out their weapons. Teal'c took point, with O'Neill right behind him. Daniel was with Sam and Olivia in the center of the group, while Hailey and Satterfield brought up the rear.

The tunnel was spacious, and made of cut stone. There were lights in the ceiling every yard or so. Sam kept anxiously looking around for surveillance equipment of any kind--but unless they were hidden in the lights, she saw none. She also saw no other people down here, and wondered if this tunnel was leading them in the right direction.

"This section definitely looks older than the rest of the city," Daniel whispered, as he ran a hand along the stonework in the walls. "It must have been built first, then used as the keystone section for the rest of the city."

"Are we going in the right direction?" Sam asked, giving voice to her concerns. "For all we know, sir, we could be headed away from the temple."

"The temple was roughly one hundred feet from where we entered," Teal'c said. "We have walked almost that same length now."

When they saw a T-junction in the tunnel ahead of them, O'Neill made a gesture for all of them to be quiet as he and Teal'c warily peered around the corner. Then he gestured 'all clear'.

When the group rounded the corner, they saw another, shorter corridor that led to a massive stone door. There was Goa'uld writing across the top door frame. There was also a stone tray set in the wall that contained what appeared to be wooden blocks which had various letters from the Goa'uld language written on them.

"'Recite the scared name of Tanis, and enter,'" Daniel read from the incription on top.

Satterfield frowned at him. "What scared name do they mean?"

"Tanis was called Zoan in the bible," Daniel said. "That must be what it means."

"Tanis was also known as Avaris," Satterfield reminded him.

"So which one is it?" Hailey asked.

"My money's on Zoan," Daniel replied, as he walked over to the tray that contained the Goa'uld letter blocks. He pointed at a slot in the wall. "This is where you're supposed to place the blocks, spelling out the name. And, see, if you spelled out 'Avaris', it wouldn't fit within this slot. But Zoan _will_ fit perfectly."

Satterfield nodded, satisfied. "Very well, I concede to your point."

"What happens if you put in the wrong name?" Olivia nervously asked.

"The ceiling will probably crush us like a pneumatic press," O'Neill said dismally. He stared hard at Daniel. "You sure about this?"

"Positive," Daniel said, as he picked out the proper letter blocks from the tray. Then he put them into the slot, with the letters facing outwards.

"How do you know which side they should be facing?" Hailey asked.

Everyone flinched when a loud rumbling sound could be heard. Sam fearfully glanced up att he ceiling, expecting it to slam down on them--until she saw that the rumbling came from the door, which slowly opened.

Daniel glanced at Hailey. "You were saying?"

"Never mind," she said, with a shake of her head.

O'Neill gestured for silence once again as he, Teal'c and Sam went through the doorway with their weapons drawn. There was a stone staircase directly ahead of them. They quickly ascended the steps and emerged inside a large, dark space that was chilly. Certain areas were illuminated by lone lights--one of them was a large, platform that was in the center. Sam saw several objects arranged neatly on the platform. She wondered if one of them was the Asgard Slayer.

"It appears to be empty of personnel, O'Neill," Teal'c murmured. "At least for the moment."

"I concur, sir," Sam said in a whisper. "I don't see anybody."

"All right, fan out," O'Neill ordered. "Let's get a peek at the stuff in the yard sale over there."

Sam stared, fascinated, at the various components of alien devices that were on display. She had no idea what they were, or what they did, but she would love to spend some time looking them over in a proper science lab.

"Um, guys," Hailey uneasily said. "Take a look at this…."

Sam rushed over to where Hailey stood, which was in front of what appeared to be one of two stasis tubes. The stasis tube that Hailey stood in front of contained an Asgard. He was in stasis, but appeared to be very sick; his skin was mottled and he was extremely thin, even by the standards of an Asgard.

"The Asgard Slayer," Sam said, almost in awe.

"What?!" O'Neill replied, sounding annoyed. "This thing? It's just an Asgard in stasis."

"It's a sick Asgard in stasis, sir," Sam told him.

"Oh, God," Daniel muttered, as it hit him. "An Asgard plague. That's what the Asgard Slayer is."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

O'Neill shook his head. "But the Asgard are too advanced for this kind of stuff--aren't they?"

"That didn't stop _this _guy from getting sick," Olivia commented, gesturing at the Asgard in the tube.

"Maybe Neith genetically enhanced an existing plague, who knows?" Sam said. "But the fact is, sir. We've found the Asgard Slayer."

"Who's in the second tube behind this guy?" O'Neill asked Teal'c. "Another Asgard?"

When Teal'c walked around and gazed into the second tube, his reaction chilled the blood in Sam's veins. For Teal'c showed an expression that Sam very rarely saw: pure fear.

"Teal'c," she said, concerned. "What is it?"

When they joined Teal'c in front of the second tube, Sam saw a larger figure within who was draped completely in black. The hood over the slumbering figure's head so completely covered its face that Sam couldn't even make out whether it was a man or a woman. Sam saw there was a name written in Goa'uld on a plauqe at the bottom of the tube.

Daniel read it aloud: "Lord Anubis the vanquished."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Uh-oh," Jacob said, as he watched several squads of Jaffa all converge just outside of the temple that SG-1 were in.

'This does not look very good,' Selmak said grimly.

"As usual, my friend, you state the obvious," Jacob muttered, as he fired up the teltac's engines. "Hang on!"

'I am inside of your head, Jacob,' Selmak stated. 'How can--'

Even Selmak was caught off guard by the sudden thrust of the teltac as Jacob piloted the ship straight towards the temple.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Neith must have defeated him in battle," Daniel said, as he gazed at the dark countenance of Anubis. "But why not just remove his snake? Why freeze the host body, along with the Goa'uld?"

"Anubis was considered to be the worst among the system lords," Teal'c said, still unsettled. "He was thought to be…unnatural. He delved into scientific research that was most unholy, and committed countless unspeakable acts--most too terrible even for the other system lords to tolerate. They all sought his destruction."

O'Neill looked annoyed. "So this Anubis was a really bad guy--one hated even by the other system lords. Big deal. He's on ice, now. And, once we blow this place with C4, he'll be in millions of little itty bitty pieces, along with the Asgard Slayer."

"Whoa, sir!" Sam said, alarmed.

O'Neill stared at her. "Whoa?"

"It's just that if we blow up the Asgard Slayer, we risk setting the plague loose," Sam told him. "As long as that stasis tube is sealed, the plague is contained."

"We've got bigger problems!" Hailey cried, as a low rumbling could be heard throughout the temple.

Sam turned and saw the massive doors were opening. And as they did, several dinosaur-mounted Jaffa stormed inside.

Teal'c immediately opened fire with his staff weapon, hitting two of the dinosaurs--and she noted that her father was right; they did look like raptors--square in the chest, dropping both them and their riders.

"GET TO THE STEPS!" O'Neill shouted over the combined roar of the charging beasts, the staff weapons and P90 fire.

Sam led the way, firing at the oncoming mounted and infantry Jaffa with her P90 as she ran towards the stairwell. Olivia was behind her, also shooting with her Glock.

"You wish you stayed aboard the ship with my dad _now_, Liv?" Sam asked with a half smile.

"What, and miss all the fun?" Olivia replied, as she kept shooting. "SAM LOOK OUT!"

Sam saw one of the mounted Jaffa had broken off from the main body and tried to outflank them. Both she and Olivia stopped, turned and fired at the rider and his mount. Sam wasn't sure who got who, but she was pleased to see the raptor's head explode in a bloody mess as it fell to the floor--

--where it's rapid forward motion caused the dead animal and rider to continue sliding right towards them on the slippery surface.

"GET DOWN!" Sam cried, as she and Olivia ducked into the stairwell. The monstrous creature's death slide was finally stopped when it fell into the stairwell. Unfortunately, the dead creature's body also blocked Sam and Olivia from going up the stairs, as well as preventing the rest of SG-1 from coming down the steps.

Sam keyed her radio. "Sir, this is Carter. The stairs are blocked with the dead body of one of the dinos. Liv and I are cut off from you."

"If you can get out the back way, then go!" O'Neill voice, heard amidst heated gunfire, said. "We're making a run for the main gates! We'll meet up outside!"

"Understood, sir," Sam said. She paused when she saw Olivia was ogling the dead raptor.

"These things are supposed to be extinct," Olivia said with awe.

"On earth, they're extinct," Sam told her. "But not here. C'mon, Liv. Let's get back outside."

But when they reached the T-junction, Sam and Olivia were met with staff weapon fire that came from both ends. They fired back, with each woman taking a different direction. But Sam quickly saw that there was no way of punching their way through; the tunnels on both ends were thick with Jaffa troops.

"Fall back, Liv!" Sam grimly shouted.

They fell back into the stairwell, where Sam hoped they could somehow squeeze past the dead raptor--until both she and Olivia were startled to see the dead animal being dragged off the steps. Atop of the steps, another mounted Jaffa was ordering his beast to drag the dead raptor with its teeth.

Yet, no sooner were the stairs clear than a second raptor jumped onto the steps with its Jaffa rider aiming his staff weapon at the women.

"Hol!" the mounted Jaffa shouted. He was clad in gold armor, with a snake head helmet whose eyes glowed red. "Brenna! Ya wan ya duru!"

Sam's heart sunk when she realized that they were cornered. She exchanged a grave look with Olivia, before she reluctantly placed her P90 on the ground. Olivia also placed her Glock on the ground as well.

"He wants us to kneel," Sam said, getting to her knees.

"Guess we'd better do as he says," Olivia said grimly, as she did the same. "For now..."

Just as both women knelt on the ground, they were each shot from behind with a zat.

Sam fell to the floor, with Olivia lying knocked out beside her--and as she slowly lost consciousness, she gazed up at the raptor, who loomed over them.

"I never liked Jurassic Park, anyway," Sam said softly, just as she faded away into the blackness.

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Eight**

"MOVE! MOVE!" O'Neill shouted, as he watched Teal'c mow down the oncoming Jaffa troops with his staff weapon. "THROUGH HERE, NOW!"

As SG-1 ran out of the temple through the main gates, O'Neill shot down another attacking Jaffa while Hailey and Satterfield lay down a suppressing fire with their P90s to cover their rear.

Daniel ran up to him. "Jack, where's Sam and Liv?"

"They're back in the tunnel," O'Neill told him. "Headed for the desert."

"And where are we going?" he asked.

When the teltac ship suddenly materialized above them just then, O'Neill said, "Way to go, Jacob. All right, let's get under the ship, double time!"

As they gathered under the teltac, O'Neill and Teal'c kept firing right up until the transport rings dropped down around them.

**SG-1: SVU**

Jacob smiled when SG-1 materialized in the cargo hold of the teltac. Then he did a double take. "Where's Sam and Liv?"

"They're in the tunnel," O'Neill told him. "They should be coming out the end of it right now. Get over there and ring them up, will ya?"

"Got it," Jacob said, as he turned his attention back to the pilot's console. "I had trouble raising you guys on the radio."

"We were a little busy to respond," Daniel wearily said.

"It's not that, Daniel," Jacob said, as he piloted the teltac over so that it hovered right in front of the tunnel entrance. "My radio signal wasn't getting through. There's some kind of a shield around that place, blocking all communications. What happened in there?"

"We found the Asgard Slayer, it's a sick Asgard frozen in stasis," Satterfield replied. "It's a plague of some kind."  
"Nice, real nice," Jacob said as he anxiously watched the tunnel entrance. "Where the hell are they?"

Daniel keyed his radio and tried to raise both Sam and Olivia. After not getting a response, he shook his head grimly at O'Neill. "Not getting anything…." he said warily.

"They still could be in the temple," Teal'c said, "where their radios are being jammed."

"We're going back in," O'Neill said.

"Oh, damn it," Jacob muttered, as he watched a squadron of death gliders all on a rapid approach towards them. He pointed out at them and added, "We've got more company. They'll be on top of us in no time."

"Just ring us down quickly," O'Neill told him.

Jacob let out another curse, this one more harsher, when he saw a familiar bright light flash in the skies above them. The bright light quickly vanished, but it left behind a wave of energy that spread out towards the ground.

"We've got to get out of here," Jacob said, as he veered away from the tunnel entrance. He switched on the ship's cloak. "And coming back right away may be a problem."

"What the hell are you doing?!" O'Neill said, once he saw they were headed into space. "We're leaving them behind! That's Sam who's down there, Jacob!"

"Don't you think I know that, Jack?!" Jacob angrily snapped. "She's my daughter, for God's sake! But I had no choice!"

Teal'c pointed out the window. "O'Neill, observe."

They watched as one of the Ha'tak ships in orbit of Mount Tanis glowed as brilliantly as the sun for a brief instant. Then, once the flash was gone, a line of glowing energy could be seen shooting out from all sides of the ship.

"They're launching another energy wave," Jacob said. "It doesn't just seek out a cloaked ship, Jack, it also disables it--wiping out its main systems. If we had been caught on the ground when that hit, none of us would have been leaving Mount Tanis."

"It's spreading out pretty far," Hailey said, fascinated. "What's the range of that thing?"

"Don't know the exact range, but the energy dissipates the wider the sphere grows," Jacob said. He found a large asteroid which was in the orbit of Mount Tanis. The planetoid was too small to be used as a base by the Netian Empire, but it was large enough to offer sufficient shelter from the energy wave. Jacob parked the teltac behind the asteroid, so that it served as a shield for the ship.

Jacob sat back in his pilot's seat. "We'll take a breather here until they think we're gone."

O'Neill placed his hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Sorry--about exploding at you before…."

Jacob patted his arm. "We both care very deeply for Sam, Jack."  
"We _all _care very deeply for Sam," Daniel said. "But let's not forget that Olivia is also still back there, too."

"We're not forgetting _anybody_, Daniel," O'Neill said firmly. "And we're sure as hell _not_ leaving them behind."

**SG-1: SVU**

Just when Casey could no longer bear being wrapped up inside the carpet, she was released from it by the big Jaffa who had captured her. He had unfurled the carpet, and the bound Casey helplessly rolled out onto the floor. She felt oddly like Cleopatra; when the Egyptian Queen first met Julius Caesar, she had also been brought into the Roman emperor's private chambers while wrapped up in a rug. Yet instead of Caesar, Casey found herself at the feet of Io'tan, who gazed down at her with a smile. Several younger women, dressed in white as Io'tan was, surrounded them. They all stared at Casey with wide eyes, as if she were an exotic creature. One of them looked to be no older than ten. Casey just glared back at them angrily. Trussed up as she was, Casey felt like a new exhibit at the zoo.

"Remove her gag, Char'el," Io'tan ordered the Jaffa. "And untie her."

The Jaffa bent down and pulled Casey's gag out of her mouth, then he untied her hands. "So what now?" Casey wearily asked, as she rubbed her wrists. "Are _you_ going to feel me up, too?"

"Feel you up?" Io'tan repeated, with a puzzled look. She glanced at Char'el, who merely shrugged as he finished untying Casey's ankles. "Is this a Tauri custom? Do you _wish_ for us to feel you up?"

"_NO_!" Casey said, shocked. Now free of her bonds, she got to her feet and confronted the woman. "Look, just what is it that you want from me?"

Yet before Io'tan could even reply, she was interrupted by a disturbing sound from off in the distance. And as soon as Casey heard it, she recognized it for what it was: gunfire.

Everyone in the room ran to the balcony, which overlooked a main avenue in the city. Char'el, the Jaffa, remained where he was, staring right at Casey. She had hoped to use the distraction to make a break for it--but not with this big mope smiling at her.

"Might as well go see what the fuss is about, huh?" Casey said, as she grinned broadly at the Jaffa.

She and Char'el joined the others on the balcony. Io'tan and the women were all gazing down to their left, at a commotion in a temple-like building that was down the street. The gunfire continued, and it was met by staff weapon fire form the Jaffa.

Casey and everybody else on the balcony were abruptly stunned by several fighter-type craft that screamed right past them, on their way to the fight down the street. Casey then watched as another ship soared up into the sky--until it just vanished into thin air. The fighters shot into the empty space where the ship was, seemingly angry at losing their prey.

'Was SG-1 the cause of that commotion?' Casey wondered hopefully. 'Are they here?'

"Ladies, please leave us," Io'tan told the group.

The young women in white all curtsied to Io'tan before they turned and left. And Casey, following their lead, also curtsied--but just as she went to leave the balcony with the other women, Char'el grabbed Casey by the arm and roughly pulled her back to stand in front of Io'tan.

Io'tan leaned against the balcony railing and said, "I meant for _them_ to leave, Casey Novak. Not you."

"Can't blame a girl for trying," Casey replied with a sigh. "I guess this means I'm now your personal slave, huh?"

"No--actually, you _could_ leave, if you wish," Io'tan told her. "I will not stop you. But, bear in mind that hiding in Mount Tanis itself is futile, for you will be found and killed by Mut's security forces. And, should you manage to escape into the open desert, you won't survive a day--especially while dressed like that, with all of your exposed skin."

"Or?" Casey asked. "I mean, I get the feeling you're offering me another option here."

"Or…you can remain with us, and work with us against Mut," Io'tan said.

If Char'el weren't standing behind her, holding her arms, Casey would have swooned with shock upon hearing that. She still shook her head in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious," Io'tan said. "Lord Battlemaster Amun was just as much of a tyrant as Neith was, but he should have been Lord Emperor. He studied directly under Neith, and would have made a far better leader than Mut. Under her inept leadership, I fear the days of the Netian Empire are numbered. And there are obvious signs that the end is near. Like what you've just witnessed now. We haven't had open combat in the streets of Mount Tanis for eons."

Casey still couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You want me to work with you against Mut? How? What can I do?"

"You're a slave," Io'tan said. "And, in the Netian Empire, there is no one lower than a slave--however, in our society, slaves are also invisible. You will able to move around much more freely than anyone else. In the coming struggle, your assistance will be invaluable. What say you?"

When Casey thought about it, she really didn't have much choice in the matter. All along, since she had been first abducted, she had done things--regardless of how distasteful they may be--in order to stay alive. And if her suspicions were correct, if that really had been SG-1 behind the battle she had just seen, then Casey would be in a prime position to help SG-1--assuming they were on the planet.

And even if SG-1 wasn't on Mount Tanis, acting as a spy for Io'tan would really be the best way for Casey to help herself right now.

"Yes," she finally said. "I'll help you in any way I can."

Io'tan smiled. "Excellent. Welcome, Casey Novak."

"Thanks, happy to be here," Casey replied.

'Until I can find a way to get back to earth, that is,' Casey thought. "May I ask what exactly is it that you're planning?"

"I intend to remove all of my girls, along with my Jaffa, from Mount Tanis and take them to safety," Io'tan answered.

Casey noted that even Char'el looked surprised at that. "My mistress," he said respectfully. "You would need control of a large vessel to accomplish that task."

"Which is why we shall be stealing a Ha'tak Class battle cruiser," Io'tan replied.

When she saw Char'el stare at her in slack-jawed shock, Casey said, "Uh, I'm guessing that's a pretty big ship, huh?"

**SG-1: SVU**

When Sam opened her eyes, she found herself staring up into Olivia's smiling face.

"Hello, sweetie," Olivia said, looking relieved. "Good to see you're awake. How do you feel?"

When Sam tried to speak, she frowned as she abruptly rubbed grains of sand from her lips.

"When I woke up, you were lying face-down on the floor." Olivia told her. "I wiped as much of the sand as I could off of you--but, you know, it still gets everywhere."

"I'm just glad we're still alive," Sam said, as she slowly sat up on her own with some help from Olivia. She saw that they were in a windowless dungeon of some kind, with stone walls and a sandy floor. The sand almost felt oddly comforting between her toes; it was a pleasant reminder for Sam of being on the beach.

'Wait a minute,' Sam thought with shock. 'My toes?!'

She glanced down and saw that her feet were bare. She had been stripped of the better part of her clothing, and was now clad only in her desert style tank top and pants.

"Oh, yeah, they, um, stripped-searched us," Olivia said uneasily. "Thankfully, we were both out cold when they did it!"

Sam nodded, as she saw that Olivia was also barefoot, and clad just in her tank top and pants, as well. "Are _you _all right, Liv?"

"I'm scared to death," she admitted, with a nervous smile as she huddled down protectively next to Sam. "But, other than that, I'm ok."

"I thought we were going to get eaten by that big lizard," Sam said, as she glanced around their cell. There were lights recessed in the ceiling, but if there was a door anywhere within the walls, Sam couldn't find it.

"Wonder if they caught the rest of the team?" Olivia asked.

Sam, with nothing better to do, simply shrugged and said, "Let's find out."

She took a deep breath and shouted Jack's full name at the top of her lungs. She called his name again, her voice echoing off the stone walls of their cell.

Olivia leapt back, startled. Then she shrugged, as she shouted, "HEY, DANIEL! YOU THERE?!"

"TEAL'C!" Sam shouted. "ANYBODY!"

Yet the only answer they received was silence.

"Oh, God," Olivia said despondently. "You don't think they just left us down here to die, do you?"

"Mut's a Goa'uld," Sam told her, as she got to her feet. The groggy aftereffect of the zat was finally beginning to wear off. "And Goa'ulds almost always love to trot out their prisoners, so they can preen before them and show them how high and mighty they are."

Olivia chuckled slightly, as she remembered something. "That's like what Jack said, back when we were captured by Neith. I wish he were here."

"So do I, Liv," Sam said, as she glanced around the cell once more. "But if he wasn't captured, if Jack O'Neill is still out there, roaming around free, then God help these guys. There's that small measure of hope, at least."

With that, a section of the wall slid open, revealing two Jaffa guards armed with staff weapons. They pointed their weapons at the women and uttered something in their gutteral language.

"What's the problem?" Olivia asked, as she got up and stood next to Sam. "The neighbors are complaining about the noise?"

Despite the dire situation, Sam burst into a broad grin at Olivia's joke. "We'll promise to keep it down from now on, ok?" Sam told the Jaffa.

The Jaffa, not sharing their sense of humor, gestured for Sam and Olivia to get out of the cell. When the women did as they were told, they were prodded into walking down a corridor with the Jaffa close behind them.

Sam glanced at the cell doors that they walked past and wondered if Jack and the others were locked up in those rooms. She hoped not; she sincerely hoped that Jack and the others had gotten away.

At the end of the corridor, Sam and Olivia were made to turn a corner, where they faced a small antechamber with a large door on one wall.

Sam noted that the floor was still covered with sand, and there was bright sunlight shining through the bottom of the doors.

"Uh-oh," Sam muttered, as the doors in front of them swung open to reveal a vast, open-air courtyard.

"What is it?" Olivia anxiously asked. "What's going on?"  
Before she could answer, Sam was interrupted by a nerve-jangling roar from a creature that she had hoped she wouldn't see again: a raptor. She glanced over in the direction that she'd heard the roar, and saw a pair of large yellow eyes leering hungrily at her and Olivia through the bars of a cage. The raptor came into view as it tried to reach for Sam, who instinctively drew away--but the Jaffa held her in place.

Unable to get at its meal, the raptor let out another angry roar.

Sam shared a wide-eyed look with Olivia, as they both said, "Uh-oh…."

**SG-1: SVU**

The bath Casey had taken felt wonderful--it was so good that she had actually nodded off for a while. She had been startled awake when one of the young priestess-in-training had entered her room and announced that she had brought Casey a new set of clothes, which had been hung on the hook.

After the woman left, Casey got out of the tub and dried herself with a towel that had been provided for her.

She excitedly inspected the clothing that had been provided for her, but her enthusiasm waned when Casey realized that the new clothing was essentially the same as what she had previously worn. The color was different this time--it was a lime green--but it was still the same scant outfit that consisted of nothing more than a bikini top with an ankle-length loincloth…and still no shoes.

In short, it was slave wear.

'Damn it,' Casey thought, as she reluctantly put the skimpy garments on. She couldn't help but wonder if Io'tan truly trusted her, or if--despite her grand speech about working together against Mut--she actually considered Casey to be nothing more than a slave in her employ.

Once she had finished dressing, Casey heard a loud commotion outside of her room. When she stepped outside, Casey saw Io'tan frantically running around her private quarters.

"What is it?" Casey asked. "What's happening?"

Just before she walked out the door, Io'tan turned to Char'el. "Keep her here," she said, gesturing at Casey, "Bind her, if you have to, Char'el. Just do not let her leave."

"Yes, my mistress," Char'el said with a nod.

Io'tan didn't leave her private quarters so much as she fled it.

"Char'el, is it?" Casey said. When he nodded, she asked, "What's going on?"

"That is not your concern," he told her.

"It is if we're about to be arrested," Casey said. "Io'tan looked like she was in a hurry. Are we in trouble?"

Char'el gazed at her thoughtfully. "The mistress has been called to the coliseum. Two of the captured Tauri agents have been condemned to the maze, and when the maze is in session, all citizens of proper standing within the empire must attend."

Casey's eyebrows raised in alarm. "The captured Tauri agents? Were they captured from that battle we saw earlier?"

"Yes, they were."

'Oh God,' Casey thought. 'It's got to be SG-1, but were they all captured? And if only a few of them were captives, then who?!'

While she strove to find a plan, Casey absently picked up a bowl from the table before her. It was solid metal, and pretty heavy. It should work nicely.

"So, when are we going to the maze?" she asked sweetly.

Char'el shook his head in the negative. "Only citizens of proper standing within the empire can attend the maze, Casey Novak."

"And that's not us," Casey said, as an idea popped into her mind. "That's a real shame--uuughh!"

Casey grunted as she swung at Char'el with the heavy bowl--

--and missed.

The Jaffa had deftly avoided being hit as he grabbed the bowl from her hands and shoved Casey down to the floor, all with one swift motion.

Casey landed flat on her back. When she tried to get back up, she was stopped by Char'el, who loomed over her. Casey sat up and tried backing away from him--until her back was pressed up against a wall, and she had nowhere to go.

Char'el bent down over her and held up a thong strip before her. "I do not wish to bind you again, but I will if you force me!"

"My friends might be in that maze," Casey said. "I have to get to--"

"You are a wanted fugitive, hunted by all Jaffa within the empire," Char'el told her. "You place one foot outside that door, then neither Io'tan or I can help you. You are being kept here for your own protection, Casey Novak, do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I do, and I'm sorry, Char'el. I won't try to run again, I promise. And I'm very sorry I attacked you. I hope you can forgive me."

"Forgive you?" Char'el smiled at her as he stood up. "Woman, my respect for you has only grown."

He held out his hand, and Casey took it and allowed him to help her up to her feet. As crazy as it seemed, it looked as if she was forming a bond with this big lug.

"Could you please tell me something?" Casey asked. "What exactly is the maze?"

"A labyrinth that contains a chaapa'ai at the center," Char'el replied. "The condemned are sent into the maze with the hope that if they reach the chaapa'ai, they will escape the maze."

"Chaapa'ai? You mean a stargate? The portal through which people can travel the stars?"

Char'el nodded. "But the maze is essentially an execution, Casey Novak. No one ever reaches the chaapa'ai before being killed by the thunder lizards."

"The animals that the Jaffa ride around on here?" Casey said with a gasp. "They're set loose within the maze?"

"They are not the same domesticated thunder lizards that the mounted Jaffa ride. The lizards within the maze are bred to be even more wild and savage." He paused thoughtfully. "Even if you had somehow managed to get to the maze without being captured, Casey Novak, you could not have helped your friends. The maze, in essence, is a death sentence--one from which there is no escape."

'Oh, dear God,' Casey thought in despair.

**SG-1: SVU**

Mut regally entered her private podium and took a seat next to Ke'tesh, who was already seated in the smaller chair next to her. She glanced over and saw Io'tan, who was seated in the box next to them, staring back at her distastefully. Io'tan used to always sit right next to Mut, but now that honor has fallen to Ke'tesh.

'How it must burn you,' Mut thought, as she gazed at Io'tan with a smile.

"My Lord Empress," Ke'tesh said respectfully. "Rest assured that I shall resume the hunt for the Tauri spy immediately after the maze is finished."

"Never mind the hunt," Mut told him. She reached over and affectionately rubbed the side of his face. "Hunting for the Novak woman was a task that was beneath you, anyway. Let the security forces deal with her. I shall use these two wenches as an example of what the Netian Empire does with Tauri cowards."

She then stood up and raised her hands, and when she did this, the crowds grew silent.

"Bring them out," she ordered the Jaffa who stood off to the side.

The Jaffa raised a horn to his mouth and blew a long, low bellow.

**SG-1: SVU**

Once they heard the horn, the Jaffa motioned for Sam and Olivia to go outside, and when they did, Sam saw that the courtyard was actually a large coliseum. A large audience of people sat in bleachers about a story above them, and when the crowds saw Sam and Olivia, they began roaring with delight.

"Uh-oh," Sam said. "This is just going from bad to worse…."

The Jaffa led them to the center of the open space, and gestured above them. Sam saw Mut sitting on her throne, glaring down at her and Olivia with disgust. Sitting next to her was Elliot Stabler, who was dressed up in a lavish, over the top outfit that only a Goa'uld-possessed human would wear.

"Elliot!" Olivia eagerly took a step towards him. "Elliot, it's me!"

Sam grabbed her arm. "That's not Elliot, Liv. Not anymore."

"But he's still in there, somewhere, right?" she desperately asked.

"Yes, but don't count on him to help us. The influence of the Goa'uld inside of him is too strong."

"Silence!" Mut commanded, as she made a sweeping gesture with her hands. "These two Tauri women were captured in their foul attempt to kill _me_, the Lord Empress of the Netian Empire! They are living proof that the Tauri are spineless, wicked creatures who need to be eradicated from the universe!"

The crowds began to boo their disapproval at Sam and Olivia.

"Oboy," Sam said under her breath, "this _really_ doesn't look good…."

"But regardless of their cowardly actions, I shall graciously give these two Tauri assassins a chance to prove their mettle in the maze," Mut said grandly. "If they survive to reach the chaapa'ai in the center, then they can go home! If they do not, then they die!"

The crowds heartily roared their approval at that idea.

'There's _another _stargate here?!' Sam thought with shock.

"Elliot," Olivia solemnly called up to him. "I know you're still there, somewhere. Listen to me, sweetie, no matter what happens here. It's not your fault. Just don't give up hope, ok?"

Elliot's eyes flared in the typical Goa'uld fashion as he glared down at Olivia. "Will _you_ still have hope while the thunder lizards tear you apart, you stupid Tauri bitch?"

When Olivia took a step back, stunned, Sam gently grabbed her and turned Olivia so that they faced each other. "Liv, hey, Liv…."

"Thunder lizards?" Olivia fearfully asked. She appeared to be in a panic-stricken daze. "Does he mean the--?"

"Yeah, the raptors," Sam said with a grim nod. "You didn't think they were going to make it easy for us, did you?"

"Oh, God," Olivia whispered, her panic rising. "Oh, my God, Sam…we're gonna die here…."

"Liv, hey, Liv…Liv," Sam said, as she tried to get Olivia's attention. Yet when Olivia kept shaking her head, muttering nervously under her breath, Sam took a more harsh approach. "Olivia! Look at me!"

Olivia, startled, stared wide-eyed at her.

"We're not dead yet," Sam whispered. "Ok?"

The Jaffa began to bark orders as they prodded the women towards the entrance to the maze with their staff weapons.

"No, we're not dead, " Olivia said, her voice trembling, "not yet."

"Don't give up hope, Liv," Sam said, as she kept her voice firm and confident-sounding for her friend. "Remember when I was on Nacre's examination table? I gave up all hope, then--until you showed up. You showed me that there was _always_ hope. So just stay with me, Liv, and don't panic. Ok?"

Olivia nodded as they entered the maze. The high walls were made of smooth concrete, which had no hand or footholds, and thus did not led itself very well to climbing. Sam noted that the crowds could see them from atop the walls. They jeered and made obscene gestures, which she ignored. Sam was more grossed out by the fact that there appeared to be large patches of blood all over the sandy ground.

"So what do we do?" Olivia asked, sounding more calm.

"Get to the stargate," Sam replied. She grabbed Olivia's hand in her own. "No matter what happens, don't let go of my hand, ok?"

Olivia smiled slightly as she gazed at her with appreciation. "Thanks, Sam."

"Don't thank me just yet," Sam told her, as they started walking through the maze. "Thank me when we're safely out of here."

As they ran down the only narrow passageway that was available to them, Sam began to realize that this was what was known as a unicursal maze, which was basically one main pathway that spiraled inwards towards a center court with no dividing walls. This was a good thing, because their chances of getting lost in here was zilch, since all they had to do was follow the pathway. And the thunder lizards, the raptors--whatever those monsters were called--would have to enter from the same point that Sam and Olivia did. And since they already got a head start on the monsters, they should arrive at the gate before any raptors even get halfway through the maze.

"This just leads straight towards the center of the maze," Sam told Olivia. "So, c'mon, Liv, let's make a run for it and see if we can't beat these lizards!"

They ran down the narrow passageway, turning to the left at every corner, until they went deeper into the center of the maze. Sam could hear the crowds were cheering loudly--and thought it odd that they could be cheering for them. Usually, in this sort of set up, the crowds would always cheer for the hapless victims to be violently killed.

They were both out of breath when they reached the final turn, which led to the center court that contained the stargate. Just as they walked through the entranceway, Sam felt Olivia freeze up in fear right next to her. She quickly saw why.

Standing on top of the wall, just above the entranceway that they walked through, was a raptor, which snarled viciously down at them.

Sam pulled Olivia into the court--only to stop in horror at the sight before them.

Several more raptors stood waiting for them all around the stargate. When Sam heard the crowd cheer once more, she glanced up and saw another raptor leap from the top of the wall on the far side of the court to join his brothers in the upcoming feast.

Her heart sank as Sam realized why the crowds had been cheering--the raptors got to the center of the maze by jumping over the tops of the walls, as the bloodthirsty spectators cheered them on all along. She glanced at the lone raptor who stood guard over the entranceway. He was placed there to prevent them from running back out. And, judging from the blood-encrusted ramp leading to the stargate, that was their killing zone.

"W-What the h-hell are they waiting for?" Olivia asked in a terrified whisper. She clutched Sam's hand so hard, it hurt. "W-Why don't they just kill us and get it over with?"

"They're waiting for us to turn on the stargate, Liv," Sam said somberly. "It's their killing pattern--it's probably how they've been trained. It makes for a better show for these raving lunatics in the stands."

"Oh, God, Sam," Olivia said sadly, as she turned to face her. "I just want to tell you that I love you. You're like the sister I never had."

"Thank you, Liv…but please, don't give up--"

Olivia grabbed Sam's shoulders. "Sam, honey, there's nothing we can do. We're surrounded by these bastards, and we have no weapons. We just have to face the--"

"Wait a minute!" Sam blurted out, as she stared hard at the stargate. "If the ramp is the raptor's killing ground, then that must mean the stargate must really work! Why else would people try to run past them, unless the stargate was active at the time!"

When she tried to dial the DHD, Sam's hopes were dashed when she realized that she could not dial out to the SGC. Yet there was a specific sequence of glyphs that the DHD did allow her to dial. She had dialed up to six before she stopped. She quickly found the final working glyph on the DHD, but did not press it.

When Sam glanced at the raptors surrounding the gate, she saw that they all stood patiently, as if waiting for her to hit the final glyph and make a run for it.

And that was when she had the idea. The crazy idea. The really..._crazy_ idea.

"Oh, boy," Sam whispered, shaking her head. "This is gonna take some crackerjack timing…."

"What is?" Olivia said desperately. "What do you mean?"

"Olivia," Sam said, clutching her hand tightly. "When I tell you, you run with me towards the ramp. And then, when I tell you, you drop flat down on the ramp. Understand?"

"Oh, my God," Olivia said, wide-eyed. "What are you planning?"

"We can either wait for them to attack us here--or, we can try to make an escape, and hopefully take a few of them out in the process," Sam replied. "Are you with me, Liv?"

"Always, Sam," Olivia said firmly. "I'm always with you. Just lead the way, sweetie."

"Do not let go of my hand," Sam said. She reached out with her other hand and struck the final glyph on the DHD. "NOW, LIV, RUN!"

The stargate began flashing as it slowly came to life, and the raptors that surrounded it had all actually tensed, as if using the stargate as their cue to get ready to pounce.

Sam and Olivia ran like crazy towards the ramp. Sam momentarily grimaced when she stepped barefoot in what felt like gore, but she ignored it and kept running.

The gate flashed brightly in the center just as Sam and Olivia were halfway up the ramp.

"NOW, DUCK AND STAY DOWN!" Sam shouted, as she dived down onto the ramp's surface.

Sam and Olivia, who both lay on their backs, flattened themselves as much as they could--just as two raptors leapt up at them from the opposite sides of the ramp, and a third ran up right on top of them from the end.

'Oh, God, no,' Sam thought with terror, as those monstrous fangs and claws were now all within deadly reach of her and Olivia. 'I miscalculated. I've failed…I'm so sorry Liv….'

And just then, the stargate roared to life.

The unstable wormhole blasted its way out of the ring, shooting a blindingly white backwash straight out over Sam and Olivia, who were just barely clear of its fury by mere inches.

The attacking raptors, however, were not as lucky.

The raptor that ran up the ramp after the women caught the full brunt of the wormhole's backwash, and he barely had time to let out a shriek as it obliterated him instantly. The two raptors that attacked from the opposite sides of the ramp wound up diving right into the deadly wormhole backwash, which sliced their bodies cleanly in half.

The backwash then disappeared back into the stargate as the wormhole automatically stabilized into the shining event horizon.

As Sam quickly got to her feet, she stared wide-eyed down at the carcass of one of the attacking raptors--or at least what was left of it. The front half of the raptor had been sheered clean off by the wormhole backwash, leaving just the back end, which had fallen back to the sandy ground beside the ramp with one of its hind legs still twitching in a death rattle.

"Get up, Liv, and get moving," Sam said, as she and Olivia started running up the ramp and towards the glimmering event horizon.

"Where's this gonna take us?" Olivia asked, as she ran.

"Anyplace but here," Sam responded, just as they reached the shining curtain.

'Just don't be an airless moon,' Sam thought, as she and Olivia stepped into the stargate. 'Please, don't be an airless moon…please, don't be an air--'

And then they were gone, having escaped through the stargate.

**SG-1: SVU**

There was total silence in the coliseum after the chaapa'ai shut down. Even the surviving raptors in the maze were quiet as they uneasily sniffed the remains of their dead brothers.

Ke'tesh was both stunned and amazed. The maze was a timeless piece of royal ceremony that had existed for literally thousands of years, and this was the very first time in its lengthy history that anyone had actually escaped through the chaapa'ai--not to mention having used the chaapa'ai itself as a weapon against the thunder lizards. Although he would never say it aloud, Ke'tesh was thoroughly impressed with Samantha Carter.

'Perhaps I could make Carter my concubine someday,' he thought. 'Once I kill this stupid bitch, Mut, and become Lord Emperor.'

Mut sat in her chair, her mouth agape. She had tried to say something, but was so shocked at what she had just seen that, for the first time in her life, she was completely speechless.

Then she turned to Ke'tesh and dumbly asked, "What just happened?"

'Oh, how you lack the cold, warrior's intellect of your dearly departed sister,' Ke'tesh thought. 'At least that fact shall make it that much more easier for me to take over the Netian Empire from you….'

Yet before Ke'tesh could reply, something in the crowd caught his attention.

A young boy stood up and began to shout, "Tauri! Tauri!"

Mut glared angrily at the little runt, who kept chanting the hated enemy's name like it was a victory mantra. Yet before she was about to order a Jaffa to deal with the ungrateful little animal, something unbelievable occurred.

The entire crowd in the coliseum began to chant the name 'Tauri', over and over. It was low and uncertain, at first. Until more and more people began to pick up on the chant, and it became a force of nature as every single member of the crowds within the coliseum joyfully rose from their seats and chanted 'Tauri' repeatedly.

Mut arose from her chair and screamed, "STOP!"

But the crowds ignored her, continuing with their chanting as if she weren't even there.

"Tauri! Tauri! Tauri!"

"I am your Lord Empress!" Mut screamed furiously at them. "And I command you to stop this NOW!!"

"Tauri! _TAURI_! **TAURI**!!"

"Um, my Lord Empress," Ke'tesh said, as he cast a nervous eye at the crowd. He noted that Io'tan had already left her seat. "Perhaps we should leave."

"Me? Leave?" Mut roared, insulted at the very idea. "NEVER! I shall command the Jaffa to kill everyone in this coliseum."

Ke'tesh pointed at the sight of a pair of Jaffa struggling to maintain control of the crowds. "My Lord Empress, the Jaffa are outnumbered within the coliseum. May I suggest that we--"

"Jaffa!" Mut ordered, ignoring him. "Kill them all!"

Ke'tesh abruptly ducked as a piece of rotten fruit was thrown right past his head. More fruit, and other assorted objects, followed as the royal podium was abruptly pelted.

Mut, who was struck in the face, fell to the floor, unconscious.

Ke'tesh bent down and felt her pulse. It was steady. She would survive.

"Damn it," Ke'tesh murmured, as he slowly placed his hands around her neck. "Perhaps, if I help you into the spirit world, I can take over that much more quickly."

He stopped and pulled his hands away from Mut's neck when several Jaffa abruptly appeared in the podium. Ke'tesh quickly rebounded from their appearance by ordering them to take the stricken Lord Empress to safety.

As the Jaffa efficiently moved the unconscious Mut from the podium, Ke'tesh glanced out at the coliseum one more time. He reeled at the sight of Jaffa, having been overwhelmed by the crowds, being flung over the railings. Fires had broken out elsewhere in the coliseum, as the now unruly crowd began to storm the gates, all while still shouting 'Tauri!'

Ke'tesh shook his head as he left the podium. 'By the time I finally take control of the empire, there may well be nothing left,' he thought darkly.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Oh, wow," Olivia said, as the stargate shut down behind them.

The planet they wound up on was densely forested, and a little chilly--but at least it had no thunder lizards. The ground under her feet felt soft, like peat moss.

She was about to give Sam a tight hug in thanks, but Olivia saw that Sam had already made a beeline for the DHD.

"You dialing Stargate Command?" Olivia asked, as she walked over to where Sam dialed the gate.

But Sam, all business, shook her head. "No. We don't have a GDO, or an IDC--or any way of contacting the SGC to get them to open the iris for us."

"So who are you dialing?"

"Somebody who can help us," Sam replied, as the stargate came to life. "His name is Bra'tac. He's one of the leaders of the free Jaffa."

"He's a good guy?"

"One of the best," Sam said with a smile. She held out her hand. "C'mon, Liv."

Hand in hand, they went through the gate once more, and when they emerged, Olivia was startled by the sight of several armed Jaffa who all aimed their staff weapons at them.

Sam immediately held her hands up and shouted, "Shel kek nem ron!"

The Jaffa instantly lowered their weapons, but they still looked wary. One of them strode forward and said, "_You_ are free Jaffa?"

"No, we're with SG-1," Sam replied. "I'm Major Samantha Carter, and this is Olivia Benson. We're here to see Bra'tec."

The warrior still looked suspicious. And Olivia actually understood, since the ragamuffin look that she and Sam presently had would probably put anybody on guard.

"Come with us," the man said. "And make no sudden movement."

"It never ends, does it?" Olivia muttered, as she and Sam walked over to the Jaffa.

"Just remain calm, and do as they say, Liv," Sam assured her. "Like I said, they're friends. They're just being very careful, that's all."

After the Jaffa briefly looked them over for any weapons, they called for a horse-drawn wagon. Once they climbed in the back, Olivia was pleased to see it was filled with hay. This world was much warmer than the last, and sitting in the soft hay, added with the spring-like fragrance of the forest air, had put Olivia in a mellow mood. Not even the presence of the Jaffa who rode with them on the back of the wagon could diminish Olivia's good mood.

"What's the plan, now?" she asked Sam.

"Get back to the SGC, and determine the whereabouts of the rest of the team," Sam said, looking concerned. "Hopefully, they weren't captured like us. But if they were, we can do something about it now, thanks to the stargate in the maze."

"That'll be a big help to us?"

Sam nodded. "We can now gate directly to Mount Tanis, and sneak in through the back door, so to speak. Yeah, Liv, the second gate will be a big help, now."

Sam grew very quiet for a moment. Then she shyly said, "Speaking of the maze--when we were back there, you told me that I was like the sister you never had."

"No, that's wrong," Olivia said.

Sam looked up at her with surprise. "It is?"

Olivia nodded as she leaned over and caressed Sam's face with her hands. "I've just officially adopted you, Sam. As far as I'm concerned, you _are_ my sister, now."

"Aww," Sam said, looking genuinely touched. "Oh, Liv…"

"C'mere, kid," Olivia said, as she pulled Sam into a warm embrace. "I love you."

"Aww, Liv," Sam murmured into Olivia's shoulder. "I love you, too. Oh, does this mean I can now borrow your clothes?"

"Hey, don't push your luck, now, all right?"

The hysterical laughter that followed was so infectious that it made even the escort rebel Jaffa smile.

**To Be Continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

_My thanks to Ray and Ms. Robart for their kind words. They're always appreciated._

_I wasn't planning on getting this chapter done so soon, but a pre-Halloween snow storm dumped about a foot of the white stuff on my house! Now that's scary!_

**Stargate: SVU**

**Chapter Nine**

Bra'tac hurried along the narrow pathway, eager to see Major Carter of SG-1, whom he was told waited for him in his private tent, along with an unknown woman. Jel'mek, who had encountered the women at the chaapa'ai, had cautioned Bra'tac in his message that the entire affair was most strange. For one thing, instead of the entire SG-1 team, only Major Carter had arrived--in a rather disheveled state, with another, unknown woman.

When Bra'tac arrived at the last check point in the clearing, he was startled to see that there wasn't a sentry present. Then he saw the Jaffa laying on the ground, with his back against a tree.

Bra'tac, taking no chances, quickly energized his staff weapon as he carefully strode over to the still man. Then, his inner alarm subsided once he saw that the man was fast asleep.

'Asleep, on guard duty!' Bra'tac thought, as he shook his head. This man may not have been on the outer perimeter, but that did not matter. A sentry was expected to do his duty, regardless of where he stood guard.

Bra'tac lightly struck the man on the side of the face with the butt of his staff weapon. The man awoke and reached for his own weapon, until Bra'tac stopped him by pointing the business end of his staff weapon right into his face.

"Master Bra'tac," the sentry said, terrified.

"You should feel fortunate that it is only me," Bra'tac said, his tone livid, as he lowered his weapon. "For the punishment I shall mete out to you for deserting your post will be mild compared to what the enemy would have done if _they_ had caught you sleeping!"

"I-I am sorry, Master Bra'tac," the man said, humbled.

"Do not be sorry, be alert!" Bra'tac roared at him. "For if you had fallen into the hands of the enemy, then you would truly have been sorry!"

Bra'tac, disgusted, continued on to the camp. When he reached his tent, he saw Jel'mek standing guard outside with several other Jaffa. Jel'mak nodded at Bra'tac in greeting, and said, "They wait for you inside, Master."

Bra'tac paused by the entrance to his tent and frowned when he heard a strange sound come from within.

It was giggling.

He pulled back the flap and saw that Major Carter sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor of his tent with another woman--one who was just as beautiful, but with dark hair. Both women had been eating fruit that had been placed before them in a bowl, all while they spoke and laughed with each other in an intimate fashion.

As he stepped into his tent, Major Carter saw him first and stood up to greet him. "Master Bra'tac," she said, smiling. "It's good to see you, again."

"It is good to see you, as well, Major Carter," he said, stunned at the grime that covered her face and skin. The dark-haired woman was equally dirty, as well. However, despite this, both women looked to be in very good spirits. "May I ask what is going on?"

"First off, let me introduce you to Olivia Benson," Major Carter said, gesturing at the dark-haired woman. "She's also a member of SG-1. Liv, this is Master Bra'tac."

"Hi," Olivia Benson said, and her smile was dazzling. "I've heard so much about you, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," Bra'tac said, as he shook her hand. He gestured at their dusty clothing and bare feet. "What _happened_ to the two of you? Where is O'Neill, and the rest of SG-1?"

Major Carter let out a sigh. "That's a long story, Bra'tac. We were off world, on a mission, when things went badly. You were the only one I could think of who could help us on such short notice. We urgently need to contact Stargate Command as soon as possible."

Bra'tac nodded in understanding. "Very well. You can tell me the rest on the way to the chaapa'ai."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Ok," Jacob said, as he slowly brought the teltac up over the edge of the asteroid--behind which they had been hiding for almost the last half hour. "Let's see what we can--oh, damn it!"

O'Neill also cursed inwardly when he saw the sight before him. The fleet of Ha'tak warships had spread out further in orbit of Mount Tanis, where they all continued to launch the seeker wave at regular intervals. O'Neill saw that the fleet of Ha'taks were positioned apart from each other in a specific diamond pattern. This pattern covered the entire planet in a giant sphere-shape that consisted of the Ha'tak ships. Neith might be dead--and good riddance--but her brilliant tactics still lived on.

"No way are we getting through that," Jacob muttered dismally. He lowered the teltac back behind the cover of the asteroid. "Not without being stopped in our tracks."

O'Neill glared at the rocky surface of the asteroid and cursed himself for letting Sam and Liv out of his sight. It killed him that, once again, Sam might be in danger while he wasn't. And now it looked like there was very well nothing that could be done--not while that fleet of Ha'tak ships was beating the bushes for them like this.

"Is it me?" Daniel asked. "Or is this an awful lot of activity for one little ship?"

"A ship that breeched the security of the capital of the Netian Empire, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c reminded him.

"Yeah, but I can't help but wonder if there's something else going on here," Daniel said. "Something we're not seeing."

O'Neill just nodded absently as his mind raced to come up with a tactical scheme to rescue Sam and Liv--but for all he knew, they might not have been captured at all. But even if that were the case, they were still stuck on the surface of Mount Tanis, and O'Neill would be damned if he would just--

O'Neill's thought were interrupted by a loud beeping from Jacob's console. "I'm getting a sub space message," Jacob said, scanning a monitor. "It's from the Tok'ra."

"Let me guess, they're scrubbing the mission," Daniel muttered with annoyance.

"Can they do that?" Satterfield angrily asked. "I mean, _we're_ not Tok'ra, so we don't have to obey them, right?"

"Sam and Olivia are all right!" Jacob said with relief, after he read the text message. "Sam and Liv managed to escape to safety with Bra'tac, who contacted the Tok'ra. They're now on their way back to the SGC."

"You sure that message is legit?" O'Neill asked.

Jacob nodded confidently. "It checks out, Jack. It's the real deal. I'm sending an acknowledgment now."

O'Neill let out a weary sigh of relief as he leaned back against the wall. "So she's all right…."

"They both are," Daniel said, smiling.

"But how the hell did they get off the planet?" Hailey asked. "To get to Bra'tac this fast, they would had to have used a stargate, but the only one on Mount Tanis is under constant guard!"

"Why don't we go ask them," Jacob said, as he revved up the engines and pulled away from the asteroid. "Once we arrive at the SGC."

"Ok, everybody can stand down," O'Neill told the group. The relief in his voice was so obvious that Daniel gave him a knowing smile as he retreated into the cargo hold with the others.

'Leave it to Sam to find a safe way off Mount Tanis,' O'Neill thought, amazed. He wanted nothing more than to give her a big hug when he saw her again. O'Neill glanced down at Jacob with a grin and said, "That's one hell of a daughter you've got there."

Jacob smiled back with pride. "That she is. But I wouldn't count out Olivia. I mean, we still don't know what exactly happened yet. For all we know, Liv might have been a big help in whatever happened, as well."

"Wouldn't be surprised if she was," O'Neill said, smiling. "Liv's a tough cookie."

"You thinking of making her a permanent part of the team, Jack? You know, when all this is over."

"You mean after we stop Mut from using the Asgard Slayer on the Asgard, and becoming an even bigger pain in the butt than she already is?"

Jacob chuckled. "Yeah, something like that."

"As far as I'm concerned, Liv _is_ a permanent member of the team," O'Neill said. "If she decides to go back to the NYPD when all this is over, I'll understand. But she's welcome to stay with us for as long as she wants."

"As long as we're talking about long-term plans, Jack," Jacob said, sotto voce. "When are you going to make Sam an honest woman?"

"When one--or both of us--is retired from the Air Force," O'Neill replied.

Jacob nodded. "And, knowing the two of you as well as I do, the answer to that is: probably never."

"You never know, Jacob," O'Neill said, as he headed towards the back of the ship for some shut eye. "If we keep pulling more of these heavy duty, 'save-the-universe-gigs', I _might_ just call it quits!"

"Yeah, and pigs might grow wings, too, Jack," Jacob called back. "But I doubt it!"

**SG-1: SVU**

Olivia smiled broadly once she stepped onto the familiar metal grating of the ramp in Stargate Command. Before they left his camp, Master Bra'tac had outfitted both Olivia and Sam with Jaffa-style boots and robes, and they must have looked like quite the pair to General Hammond and Dr. Fraiser, who waited for them.

"Hammond of Texas!" Bra'tac exclaimed in greeting.

"Hello, Master Bra'tac," Hammond replied, smiling. "Thank you very much for your help."

Bra'tac waved his hand. "It is my pleasure, as always."

"Are you two all right?" Hammond asked Olivia and Sam with concern, as they stepped off the ramp and stood before him.

"Fine, sir," Sam said with a nod.

"Thanks to Sam," Olivia added, as she placed an arm across her shoulders. "She's the hero here, General Hammond."

"Liv, stop," Sam said shyly.

"What happened?" Fraiser asked.

"Mut threw us to her raptors," Olivia replied. "And we were stripped of all our equipment. We didn't even have any shoes, much less weapons."

"How did you escape?" Hammond wanted to know.

Olivia gestured with her head at Sam. "It was her idea to use the stargate as a weapon."

Hammond stared at Sam, stunned, while Fraiser smiled broadly at her.

Sam's cheeks began to grow red as she turned her gaze towards the ground.

"Where's the rest of SG-1?" Hammond asked.

"They're on their way back," Sam quickly replied, looking happy to change the subject. "Bra'tac contacted the Tok'ra on our behalf, and they got word to Colonel O'Neill and the others that we were ok. They acknowledged the signal and said they were returning to the SGC. We've seen the Asgard Slayer, sir. It's a sick Asgard in stasis."

"A plague?!" Janet said with a gasp.

Sam nodded. "That's what it looks like."

"Very well," Hammond said with a nod. "You can tell us all about it later in the briefing--after you've both showered."

"Oh, uh, it's that bad, huh?" Olivia asked with a grimace.

Fraiser lightheartedly waved her hand in front of her face as she mimicked rapidly blinking her eyes at a foul odor.

Sam burst into a grin at this. "All right, Janet, thanks! We get the message."

"We're just extremely happy that you're both back home, and safe," Hammond told them, as they all turned to leave the gate room.

As Olivia walked out, she caught something in the corner of her eye. She glanced up and saw Mr. Woolsey standing at the conference room windows with an attractive brunette. They both stared down at Olivia and the others with great interest.

'Wonder what's going on up there?' Olivia thought.

**SG-1: SVU**

Elizabeth Weir turned away from the massive window and walked over to the table, which she leaned on for support. Just a few hours ago, she had practically been abducted by a group of very scary looking men while on her way to work in Washington D.C. The men, who were Secret Service, informed Elizabeth that the President of the United States needed to speak with her…right now.

Once in the Oval Office, the President--who was on a first name basis with Elizabeth, thanks to her internationally renown skills as a diplomat--informed her of a dire situation in which they needed her help with. That was when she had been told of how the recent Disappeared situation was in fact the result of alien abductions. And just when she was still reeling from _that _little bombshell, the President then broad-sided Elizabeth with another stunning revelation.

He told her about the Stargate program.

But just telling Elizabeth about the Stargate program wasn't enough for the President. Oh, no, he had those same scary Secret Service agents fly her out to Colorado, where she had been handed off to a group of equally scary Air Force officers, who made Elizabeth sign a confidentially agreement before taking her on an elevator ride deep into the bowels of the Cheyenne Mountain complex. Once down here, she saw the stargate in action for herself, as Elizabeth watched a strangely dressed man and two women emerge from what looked like a vertical pool of water that appeared within a big metal circle, as if from magic.

"Dr. Weir, are you all right?" Mr. Woolsey asked fretfully.

Elizabeth nodded her head and forced a smile. "Yes, Mr. Woolsey. I'm afraid it's all a little too much for me to take in all at once."

"I understand completely," he said. "The first time I saw the stargate in action, I simply stood there, with my mouth hanging open--I didn't even realize I was doing this until General Hammond finally tapped me on the shoulder."

Elizabeth chuckled at that. Woolsey appeared to be a decent man, which made her wonder how did he ever wind up working for the NID?

"Do you see our problem?" Woolsey asked. "In order to get the Disappeared back to their homes overseas, we will have to inform the respective governments of the Stargate program--with the exception of the Russians, who already know all about us."

Elizabeth wearily nodded. And here she thought the upcoming East African conference was going to be hard. "It's not impossible."

Woolsey looked hopeful. "It's not?"

"What you want is to return these people back to their homes, along with their governments' cooperation in keeping the stargate program a secret," Elizabeth thought aloud. "The only obvious way to do that would be to give them something in return."

"Such as?"

"A partnership deal in running the Stargate."

Woolsey's eyed grew large behind his glasses. "I'm not sure that the military, specifically the Air Force, would take too kindly to that idea, Doctor."

"The Air Force has been used to playing on a very familiar playing field," Elizabeth told him. "And by her actions, Her Lord Empress Neith didn't just level the playing field, Mr. Woolsey, she swept it away. The Air Force will just have to realize that this is now a completely new game, with a new set of rules."

**SG-1: SVU**

"This can't be good," Casey muttered.

She and Char'el watched on the balcony as a huge crowd of rioters raced by on the streets below them. Some of them were armed with sticks, while others had torches. Casey was stunned to see that several of the rioters even appeared to wield the staff weapons that the Jaffa used.

"Something is wrong," Char'el said ominously.

"That's the understatement of the year," Casey said. She flinched when something down the street exploded into a large fireball. "Whoa!"

"It is not safe out here," Char'el said, as he gently grabbed her arm. "Come, let us go inside."

Casey went with him inside Io'tan's private chambers, where they were surprised to see Io'tan herself seated anxiously in the sitting room.

"My mistress," Char'el said. "Are you well?"

"No, I am not," Io'tan replied, shooting a suspicious look at Casey. "The Tauri women escaped the maze!"

'Oh, thank God!' Casey happily thought.

Char'el appeared to be equally stunned at this news. "My mistress, may I ask what happened?"

"Two Tauri women--one golden-haired, the other dark-haired--were placed in the maze," Io'tan started to say.

"Sam and Olivia?" Casey blurted out--and she immediately regretted having said so, thanks to the look of anger and suspicion that Io'tan gave her.

"You know them?" Io'tan asked. "Then you are a part of this, too?"

Casey shook her head. "I don't know what you mean. A part of what?"

Io'tan angrily gestured at the violence that can be heard just outside her chambers. "This! The chaos in the streets. I wonder if this is just a part of your nefarious plan, Tauri."

"What are you talking about?" Casey cried. "The only thing I'm a part of is _your_ plan to--"

"You're here to destabilize us, Tauri, admit it!" Io'tan roared. "You allow two of your agents to be deliberately captured, so they could go into the maze and subvert it by some sort of trickery--knowing that this will result in riots in the streets. You probably were the ones behind the assasination of Amun, knowing that Mut's ascension to the throne of Lord Empress would begin the decline of the Netian Empire! You are insidious, working your vile plans from the inside."

"I swear to you, Io'tan, I am no spy!" Casey said. "I was just minding my own business on earth when I was abduct--"

"Char'el," Io'tan ordered, cutting Casey off, "get her out of my sight!"

"No, you listen to me," Casey said, getting angry as she strode over to Io'tan. "I am getting sick and tired of--"

When Io'tan took a fearful step backward from her, Casey stopped in her tracks and held up her hands. "Look, you have no reason to be afraid of me! I swear to you, that I'm not--"

When she heard the sound of a device powering up from behind her, Casey whirled around to see Char'el aiming a zat at her.

"Ok," Casey nervously said, "just wait! Just hold on here, all right?"

"Char'el," Io'tan cried, "what are you waiting for? Shoot the Tauri spy!"

Char'el almost appeared sorrow-filled as he shot Casey with the zat.

'Oh, Jesus…never ends, does it?' was the last thought Casey had, just before she blacked out from the surge of energy.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Welcome home, SG-1," Hammond said. "Or, should I say…the _rest _of SG-1."

"Thanks, General," O'Neill replied, as he and the rest of the team walked down the ramp. O'Neill noted that Olivia and Carter stood next to Hammond, both now clad in black BDUs. "You guys ok?"

"Yes, sir," Carter replied, smiling, as she gave her father a welcoming hug. O'Neill found himself envying Jacob.

Olivia was pleasantly surprised when Daniel abruptly pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Hiya," he said cheerily. "So, how _did_ you get back ahead of us?"

"Yeah, what happened, here?" O'Neill said jokingly. "We're all jealous!"

"There's a second stargate on Mount Tanis, sir," Carter said, and the smile on her face was now downright radiant. "It's in the maze, where they throw condemned prisoners in to face the raptors. It's a sadistic game, where prisoners try to reach a stargate at the center of the maze before they're attacked by the raptors."

"And you know this--how?" O'Neill anxiously asked.

"From personal experience," Olivia replied with a frown. "Mut threw us in there, without any weapons--nor most of our clothes."

"Dear God," Jacob muttered, shocked. He stared hard at Sam. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, dad, we're fine," Carter assured him. "We managed to escape, obviously."

"Thanks to Sam," Olivia interjected with a smile. "She used the stargate as a weapon."

When O'Neill gazed at Carter--at Sam--with renewed awe and respect, she just gave him a bashful little shrug.

"No way!" Hailey said, amazed.

"Yes, way," Olivia replied. "Sam timed it perfectly so that we ducked down on the ramp just as the stargate was starting up. The backwash from the gate killed three of the raptors."

"Why don't we reconvene in the conference room upstairs and continue this conversation?" Hammond suggested. "Master Bra'tac is there, waiting for us."

When the group dispersed, O'Neill found himself standing alone with Sam in the gate room. He glanced around them, trying to see if he could sneak a hug with her. But Walter was seated at his console in the control room, and he had a clear view of them. Looks like the hug would have to wait….

….damn it.

"Something wrong, sir?" Sam asked.

"You used _that_ thing," O'Neill said, pointing at the stargate, "as a weapon? All I have to say, Carter, is thank God you're on _our_ side!"

Sam just gave him another one of her fabulous smiles--and while it wasn't a hug, O'Neill thought it would suffice very nicely...for now. "We're expected in the conference room, sir," she reminded him. "And you need to check your weapons at the armory."

"That I do," he said with a nod, as they walked through the doorway. "See you there, Major. Oh, and one more thing…."

Carter paused in the hallway and glanced back at him. "Yes, sir?"

O'Neill was about to say something very personal, straight from his heart, until he took note of the sentries who stood outside the gate room door and changed his mind. "Keep my favorite seat at the conference table clear for me, huh?"

Carter let out a bemused chuckle as she nodded. "Yes, sir."

**SG-1: SVU**

Given what had occurred, Char'el was not surprised that Io'tan had been called before Her Lord Empress Mut. Mount Tanis was still battling some of the worst violence it had ever seen in ages--and it was all from its own citizens. Apparently, the events in the maze--with the Tauri women making their escape--had rattled the majority of the populace to the point where they no longer believed in the old institutions. It was all the Jaffa could do to now in just keeping the riots barely contained.

'Perhaps the people's faith in the old institutions had already worn away long ago,' Char'el thought. 'And this incident in the maze was merely the spark that set their deep-seated dissent ablaze.'

Char'el escorted his mistress as she strode towards Mut's throne room. On any other day, Io'tan would have gone to see Mut by herself. But during these uncertain times, Char'el thought it prudent to escort her. And Io'tan, who had feared that she had played a role in the creation of the chaos, did not argue.

Yet when they arrived at the throne room, both Char'el and Io'tan were shocked to see Ke'tesh standing there, alone.

"Where is Her Lord Empress Mut?" Io'tan asked.

"Resting, after having been assaulted by those animals at the maze," Ke'tesh said, his tone harsh and accusing. "You would have known this, Io'tan, had you stayed behind and acted like a proper First Prime. In fact, you might have even prevented it!"

"What do you mean?" Io'tan said.

"You are under arrest for dereliction of your duties," Ke'tesh said. He gestured, and several Jaffa emerged from the shadows. Two of them aimed their staff weapons directly at Char'el.

"You have no right to arrest me!" Io'tan said angrily.

"When Mut awakens, she will ultimately decide what to do with you," Ke'tesh said. "Until then, you can wait for her wise decision in a prison cell. Take her away!"

Char'el made a move to stop them, until Io'tan said, "No, get back to my girls and stay with them. They need you far more than me right now, Char'el."

"Yes, Char'el," Ke'tesh said, as Io'tan was led away. "Go back and hide with the women. We shall be coming for the rest of you soon enough."

As much as it galled him to do nothing while Io'tan was being thrown into a prison cell, Char'el had to admit that she was right: his little sisters needed him now more than ever.

Char'el bowed before the sneering Ke'tesh, then he turned and bitterly walked away.

**SG-1: SVU**

The conference was rushed this time, because General Hammond thought it was urgent to get back out to Mount Tanis as soon as possible. The capture, or destruction, of the Asgard Slayer was deemed of prime importance. The major problem was gating directly to the stargate in the maze, which wasn't the prime stargate on the planet. If they normally dialed out to Mount Tanis, they would automatically dial up the main stargate, which was heavily guarded by a small army.

This problem caused Sam to remember back several years ago, when she and Jack had inadvertently discovered the second stargate in Antarctica. They had gated back home under heavy enemy fire, and when the gate was struck by these high energy weapons, the wormhole had "jumped" stargates, landing her and Jack in an icy cave in the southern continent. Sam theorized to the group in the conference room that if they did the same thing--if they charged their gate with high energy while it was open to Mount Tanis--that it might cause the wormhole to "jump" to the stargate in the maze.

"Yes, yes!" Rodney said in agreement. "That just might work. Very good, Sam!"

Sam had groaned inwardly with disgust at that moment--she had never meant to seek Rodney's approval for her idea, but General Hammond's.

Yet even Hailey grew excited by that idea, as her head bobbed up and down. "Yeah, there's no reason why that shouldn't work, Major Carter, because you're basically recreating the same event, but on Mount Tanis this time."

"What do you think, Jack?" Hammond asked.

"I'm feeling very cold," Jack replied. He shot a pained look at Sam. "I don't have real fond memories of that Antarctica trip. But, um, yeah…why not try it again? As long a we don't wind up in another ice cave…."

"We'll send a MALP through, first, just to make sure the wormhole winds up in the maze," Sam told him.

"And should it wind up in the maze, the MALP will also serve to scout the area for hostile activity," Teal'c added.

"Major Carter, I recall, when you and Colonel O'Neill were trapped in Antarctica, that our gate was knocked offline for a day," Hammond said. "Won't that also happen to the stargate in the maze? If so, you'll be cutting off your only escape route."

"We've determined that the reason our stargate was wiped out was because we don't have a DHD," Sam replied. "The maze stargate does, and since it has the complete stargate system in place, it shouldn't be knocked out by the wormhole "jumping" from gate to gate."

"It _shouldn't_ be knocked out?" Jack pointedly asked.

Sam gave him a shrug. "It's still theory, sir. We haven't had this situation occur since the Antarctic incident."

"I may be of some help here," Jacob said. "I'll go back in the teltac and hover over Mount Tanis. If the stargate there should be wiped out, just give me a call, and I can give you guys a lift."

"I shall accompany you, if you wish," Bra'tac offered.

"The more, the merrier," Jacob replied. "Thanks."

"Very well," Hammond said. "Let's make it happen. Doctor Frasier, I'd like for you to go with SG-1 on this mission, so that you can assess what kind of a threat--if any--the Asgard Slayer poses."

"Yes, sir," Janet said.

"Dealing with an alien plague in the middle of the capital city of a hostile intergalactic empire?" Rodney said, as he shook his head at Janet. "Better you than me, Doc!"

"Actually, Dr. McKay, I'd like for you to go, as well," Hammond told him. "From SG-1's earlier description of the vault, there were other alien devices in storage there, and I'd like an extra set of scientific eyes on hand to evaluate whether anything's worthwhile bringing back."

Rodney looked like he was about to have a heart attack. "Oh, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! I-I'm not a field guy, ok? I'm a genius who works back home in the nice, safe lab. Sorry, General, but I'm not going anywhere."

"Dr. McKay," General Hammond said, as he leaned forward and shot him a flinty gaze. "That was _not_ a request…."

Rodney merely sat in his seat with a look of sheer terror on his face as the meeting was adjourned. Janet patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Rodney, I'll protect you."

Right after the meeting broke up, Sam bid her father farewell, before he and Bra'tac gated back to the planet where the teltac ship was parked. Jacob and Bra'tac had to get an early start on their journey to the planet if they were to be ready for SG-1 when they arrived much later.

Sam then busied herself for the next few hours working with Rodney, Hailey and Sgt Siler in prepping the gate for this special operation. Eventually, thanks to Siler's ingenuity at pulling things together, they set up a separate power system based off of its own generator that was connected to the gate at four points. When a switch was flipped, this system would hit the gate with what Sam hoped would be just enough power to disrupt the wormhole, and "jump" it over to the stargate in the maze.

After doing a preliminary check in the control room, Sam nodded at Jack and General Hammond when she was happy with the set up. "It's good to go, sirs."

"We're still waiting to hear if Jacob and Master Bra'tac are in position," Hammond told both Sam and Jack. "In the meantime, why don't all of you get prepped and ready?"

Sam entered the women's locker room and found Olivia was already there, with Hailey and Satterfield, putting on the rest of her gear. Sam smiled at how quickly Olivia had picked up on the proper way to dress in combat gear.

When Olivia saw Sam's smile, she paused and said, "What?"

"Nothing," Sam said with a shake of her head. "It's just that you've come a long way from when we first met, Liv. Makes me wonder if you can ever go back to being a cop after all this."

"I don't think I _can_ go back," Olivia said solemnly. "From the way things went on my last visit at the one six, it doesn't look as if I'd ever be welcome there again--even if Elliot and Casey came back alive and well."

As she put on her vest, Sam recalled how the enraged Mrs. Stabler had confronted Olivia in the police station--as well as the harsh looks of suspicion that Olivia's co-workers gave her. She couldn't help but feel guilty about that, as if Liv's ostracism were somehow her fault. "If you couldn't go back to the SVU, what would you do?"

"Truth be told, Sam, I'm not sure I _want_ to go back at this point," Olivia told her. "This may sound crazy, especially after all we've recently been through, but having gotten a taste of this life, I've come to enjoy it. I feel like I'm now a part of something bigger than myself--fighting battles that are truly worth fighting. You know?"

Sam grinned at her. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Would you guys want me to remain on the team?" Olivia asked. "I mean, I'm just a civilian, after all."

"So is Daniel--and Teal'c, when you think about it," Sam told her. "And as far as you continuing, you're welcome to stay with SG-1 as long as you want to, Liv."

"You think Jack feels the same way?"

"I think so," Sam said. "And if he doesn't, I'll be happy to persuade him for you."

Olivia smiled. "Thanks, Sam."

Sam shrugged as they left the locker room. "Hey, what are sisters for?"

**SG-1: SVU**

Casey woke up, and for a split second she thought she had dreamt the last few days. But then reality came crushing back down on her when she heard what sounded like a battle outside the window of the narrow room she lay in--and when she instinctively tried to get to her feet to see what was going on, Casey realized that she couldn't move her arms and legs.

Casey let out a disgusted moan when she discovered that she had been trussed up hand and foot once more, no doubt by Char'el.

'Damn it,' Casey thought with frustration. 'I'm so sick of being treated like an animal…hell, I'm actually being treated _worse_ than an animal!'

She lay on a carpet that had been rolled out over the hard-tiled floor. The room she was in appeared to be a storage area of some kind.

'Great, just great,' Casey thought, as she wriggled herself up into a sitting position. 'I've been stashed away with the other useless items….'

She was stunned when the blast from a large explosion erupted right outside the window. This was followed by what sounded like an exchange of staff weapon fire in the streets below. Apparently, the street battles she had witnessed earlier did not die down--on the contrary, they now sounded like they were escalating.

'And here I am, completely tied up and helpless,' Casey thought dismally. 'Well, if nothing else, things can't get much worse than _this_….'

The door flung open just then, and a wide-eyed Casey found herself staring up at Char'el, who loomed over her with a knife in his hand.

Before Casey could even think of screaming, Char'el reached down, roughly pulled her bound feet up--

--and then he cut her ankles loose with the knife.

The Jaffa then pulled Casey up to her feet, made her turn her back towards him, and sliced through the bonds that tied her wrists together.

"Um, not that I don't appreciate it," Casey said, as she watched Char'el put his knife back in its sheath. "But why did you untie me?"

"Io'tan has been imprisoned," Char'el said. "I am freeing you, Casey Novak."

He then turned and walked away.

A stunned Casey ran after him. She glanced around her and saw countless girls and young women, all Priestess-In-Training, comforting each other and fretting worriedly in Io'tan's private chambers. They all had the look of frightened refugees. Char'el walked up to a group of armed Jaffa and conferred with them briefly--then the other Jaffa nodded and each went his own way.

"Who imprisoned Io'tan?" Casey asked.

Char'el almost looked taken aback, as if surprised to see Casey was still here. "Ke'tesh has imprisoned her, and made threats about coming after all of us. We can no longer protect you, Casey Novak. I thought it was best to just release you. Perhaps you can fare better on your own. We can give you food and water, if you wish."

'Ke'tesh?' Casey thought with shock. Apparently, the Goa'uld who took over Elliot was now looking to take over the Netian Empire itself. And with Io'tan under arrest, Casey quickly saw her chances of getting back to earth fade away to nothing.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"We will make our stand here," Char'el grimly replied. "I will die before I allow any harm to come to my little sisters."

Casey glanced around at the weeping and upset women and girls--several of whom were no more than young children. They all abruptly howled in terror when another explosion roared up just outside. Casey realized that there was no hope for either these girls, or Char'el. Without Io'tan, they were leaderless, and would certainly all die here.

And that was when Casey made her decision.

Casey Novak may have been treated like little more than a slave these past few days. But, deep down, she was still a prosecutor for the Special Victims Unit; a woman who spent her career defending innocents just like these young women and girls. And she wasn't about to shirk her responsibly now.

She turned to Char'el and said, "Io'tan told us that she wanted to steal a Ha'tak ship, right? She had the right idea." Casey pointed at the column of smoke that arose just beyond the balcony. "And there's no better time then now to do that, Char'el. With all of that going on, who's going to miss a ship, right?"

"But, without Io'tan, the plan is lost," Char'el said. "We need special codes to get past security checkpoints, codes which only she had."

"Well," Casey said, as she placed her hands on her hips, "I guess we're just going to have to bust Io'tan out of prison, then, huh?"

Char'el merely stared at her as if she were insane.

**SG-1: SVU**

When Sam entered the gate room with Liv, she burst into a grin at the sight of Rodney McKay suited up in a black BDU, everyone else.

McKay just gave her a wounded look. "What?!"

"Um, black suits you very well, Rodney," Sam said, still grinning.

"Really?" Rodney asked.

"It's very slimming," Janet humorously chimed in. She was also fully clad in her own petite version of the black BDU.

"Well, you certainly look like _you're_ ready to rock and roll, Doc," Olivia told her.

"Wait a minute!" Rodney said. "If Mount Tanis is a desert planet, then why are we all wearing black?"

"Because we're such bad asses?" Satterfield replied.

"Good one, Grace!" a smiling Hailey said, as she gave her a fist bump.

"Because, for the fifth time, we will be gating directly into the city itself, where wearing desert camouflage won't make a difference," Jack impatiently told Rodney. "You got it, _that_ time?"

"Uh, yeah," Rodney said.

"Are you two all right with gating right back into the maze?" Daniel asked Olivia and Sam.

"Not a problem," Olivia answered for the both of them. She patted the nine millimeter Glock handgun in her holster. "Because, this time, we're going in strapped!"

"Hey, wait," Rodney said. He gestured with annoyance at Olivia. "She's a civilian, but _she_ has a gun! So why can't I have one?"

"Because she's had extensive training with guns, and you haven't," O'Neill muttered, sounding as if at the end of his rope.

The stargate abruptly came to life, and the iris was closed for good measure--until Sgt Harriman determined that it was a message from the Tok'ra. After they received the message and shut the gate down, Hammond came on the intercom.

"We've received a message from Jacob," Hammond said. "He and Master Bra'tac are in position, under cloak, over Mount Tanis. We have a go, SG-1."

"Get ready, kids," O'Neill called. "Lock and load."

"Except me," Rodney sullenly said.

"Dialing gate address," Harriman called.

"C'mon, Liv," Sam said. "We should be on hand in the control room to identify the maze…if the MALP actually winds up _in_ the maze."

They went up into the control room, where Sam stared at the gate impatiently as it slowly dialed each chevron.

'There's got to be some way of speeding this process up,' she thought. She made a mental note to check into this problem at a later date. Right now, she had to remain focused on the task at hand.

"Chevron seven--locked!" Harriman announced.

The gate came to life as the unstable wormhole flared out momentarily, then it stabilized into the shimmering event horizon. Harriman turned in his seat and stared expectantly at Sam, who glanced at Hammond.

When Hammond nodded at her, Sam turned to Harriman and said, "Hit it."

Harriman hit the special switch on the console that had been rigged for him by Siler, and the stargate was hit with several thousand volts of power. The wormhole was disrupted to the point where it actually flared out once more, then it snapped back into place as a vertically placed shimmering pool of light.

Sam was pleasantly surprised to see that, not only was their gate still functioning, but that there was still a stable wormhole at all. Still, the real test was yet to come.

"Send in the MALP," Hammond ordered.

"MALP is rolling," Harriman announced over the intercom, as the six-wheeled, remote controlled vehicle quickly crawled up to the stargate. "MALP has entered event horizon."

All eyes in the control room turned to the monitors, as they flashed to life and showed a view of the maze.

"That's it! You did it!" Olivia said, as she excitedly gave Sam a one-armed hug. "That's the maze!"

Sam smiled at the sight of one of the dead raptors on the ground by the stargate ramp. "Yep, that's the maze, sir."

Hammond smiled at her. "Superb work, Major. Now you and Detective Benson should get to the gate room and rejoin your team. You have a go."

Sam and Olivia quickly did so, joining O'Neill and the others in the gate room.

"Godspeed, SG-1," Hammond said over the intercom, as they all walked up the ramp.

Teal'c, Haily and Satterfield went through first. Then Olivia, Daniel and Janet stepped through the gate next. Jack and Sam were about to join them--but were stopped when Rodney abruptly hesitated right in front of the event horizon.

He spun around and stared nervously at Sam. "Uh, um, I-I don't know if I can…you know…I-I don't know if I can actually…um--"

Rodney let out a little girly shriek--which was cut off--as Sam abruptly shoved him into the wormhole.

"You enjoyed that _way_ too much, Major," Jack chided her.

"Yes, sir," Sam replied, with an ear to ear grin on her face. "I did."

"Good for you," Jack said, smiling. "Now, let's go see if we can mess up Mut's day, as well."

"With extreme pleasure, sir."

Sam, still grinning broadly, stepped side by side with Jack into the wormhole.

**SG-1: SVU**

Qetesh paused to allow the line of Jaffa warriors to properly salute her before she entered the shattered remains of the library. All around her, the Ionian capital city was ablaze with fire, the air thick with smoke, the streets filled with bodies and debris.

'Another conquered world to add to the collection,' Qetesh thought, as she walked past the body of an Ionian soldier. Their puny army was no match for the full force of their Jaffa military might, which had effortlessly stomped them into the ground.

She found Ba'al in the main section of the devastated library, intently reading a scroll that he held in his hands. Several armed Jaffa stood near by, waiting.

Kneeling on the floor, with her hands bound behind her, was a skinny old woman. She glanced timidly up at Ba'al and said, "Please, my lord. You promised me…my lord…please…."

Qetesh strolled up to the woman and, with her eyes flashing, said, "Who are _you_ to speak to your new god in that manner?"

"That's Hereta, the chief librarian," Ba'al said, as he came over to them. "And, in all fairness, I _did_ make a promise to her."

"Which was?"

"I promised not to destroy the rest of Ionia if she gave me this," he replied, holding up the scroll.

Qetesh stared at the scroll anxiously. "Is that what I think it is?"

Ba'al smiled. "It is, my queen. The precise coordinates for Mount Tanis, which the chief librarian kept hidden in a secret vault. She hid it even from Osiris and SG-1, when they were here."

"Neith's stronghold is a dangerous and vile place," Hereta called to them. "No one should thread lightly there! It would be like disturbing a viper's nest!"

"If that's the case," Qetesh said, "then you should have destroyed this scroll long ago."

"Ah, but then she would not have anything to bargain with, my love," Ba'al told her. "Not that it will do her any good…."

"What?!" Hereta cried in horror. "But you said--"

"You should have surrendered when we gave you the chance," Ba'al coldly told her. "Now, the rest of your planet shall be crushed just as your capital city was, Hereta. All you've managed to do with your mindless scheming was to delay the inevitable. You can take that knowledge with you to the grave."

Ba'al gestured at a Jaffa, who shot Hereta dead with his staff weapon. He then held up the scroll at Qetesh and said, "Shall we?"

Qetesh's eyes narrowed. "You dare to enter the lion's den? To storm the home fortress of Neith, the great Huntress Of The Heavens, herself?"

"He who dares, wins," Ba'al told her. "With the power of the conquered Netian Empire behind us, we shall both rule the universe as the rightful gods that we are, Qetesh. And now, the road to Mount Tanis beckons. What say you, my love?"

Qetesh smiled at him. "Lead the way…my Lord Emperor."

**To Be Continued....**


	10. Chapter 10

_I'd like to thank Barbrarossa Rotbart, Ray1 and MiaRose 156 for their feedback. It's always appreciated. _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Ten**

When Teal'c emerged from the stargate he quickly crouched down into a defensive posture with his staff weapon at the ready. On either side of him, the young Lieutenants Hailey and Satterfield also did the same, raising their P90s up as they carefully scanned the area before them.

Teal'c realized that the MALP, which sat on the ground before them, had already cleared the area--but a lifetime spent practicing the fine art of combat had taught him to _never_ relax your guard, not even for a moment. Fortunately, the area remained secure--at least what lay directly before them.

In the skies above, however, was another matter.

Large black columns of smoke stretched up into the skies before them, as Teal'c heard the distant sounds of gunfire--staff weapon fire, to be exact. Teal'c realized that all of this had been blocked form the MALP's view by the high walls of the maze.

"Oh, crud," Jennifer Hailey said, as she stared up at the smoke. "Are they at war?"

"So it would appear," Teal'c said grimly.

Olivia Benson, Daniel Jackson and Doctor Fraiser all emerged from the stargate next.

"The area is secure," Teal'c informed them.

"Yeah," Daniel Jackson said, as he and the other new arrivals all stared anxiously at the columns of smoke. "But what's that?"

"We do not know," Teal'c said. "We have also heard gunfire."

Rodney McKay abruptly emerged from the gate with a yelp--while walking backwards.

"First time I've ever seen somebody come out of the gate like _that_," Satterfield said, looking impressed.

McKay kept stumbling back, as if unbalanced, until Dr. Fraiser reached out with her arm and stopped him. "You all right?" she asked.

After he quickly patted down his body with his hands, McKay nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I mean, everything's still here…I think." He glanced up at the group with an outraged look and added, "S-She pushed me!"

O'Neill and Major Carter emerged from the gate last, and when he saw her, Dr. McKay stabbed a finger at Major Carter and whined, "You pushed me!"

Major Carter had a displeased look on her face as she merely shook her head at him.

"Yeah, and I'm glad she did," O'Neill replied, "or else you never would have went through!"

"But I wasn't ready! She had no right to--" McKay abruptly made a face as he sniffed the air. "Ugh, what's that smell?"

O'Neill came over to Teal'c. "I trust the area is secure?"

"The immediate area is indeed secure," Teal'c replied. He then gestured at the columns of smoke. "But, as you can observe, the city itself appears to be having…problems."

Everyone flinched when they heard the distant blast of an explosion.

"Any idea what it could be, Teal'c?" Major Carter asked, as she joined them. "Obviously, it's a firefight--but who's fighting who?"

Teal'c shook his head. "The identities of the combatants--as well as why they are fighting--is unknown to me, Major Carter."

"Carter, there's only one way in and out of this maze, correct?" O'Neill said.

"Yes sir."

"Then we'd better get moving," O'Neill said.

"Oh, God," Rodney muttered with disgust as he stared down at one of the dead raptors--or what was left of it--that lay beside the ramp. "That's where the smell's coming from…."

Doctor Fraiser glanced down at the raptor and then smiled broadly over at Olivia Benson and Major Carter. "Against you two," she said proudly, "that thing never had a chance!"

"The gate backwash sliced him clean in half," Jennifer Hailey said, as she gazed down in awe at the dead raptor. "Oh, man, I wish I could have seen this."

"I wish I wasn't here when it happened," Olivia Benson muttered.

"You and me both, Liv," Major Carter added.

"All right, let's move," O'Neill said. "Single file. Teal'c, you watch our backs."

"Wait, wait a minute!" Rodney McKay said, waving his arms. He frantically gestured at the dead raptor. "What if there are more of these things lurking around?"

"They were usually kept locked up, Rodney," Major Carter told him.

"Usually?" Rodney McKay shook his head at her. "That's not very comforting, Sam!"

"We have guns, McKay," O'Neill said, and he appeared very impatient. "Now shut up and let's get moving!"

"No, _you_ guys have the guns," Rodney McKay shouted back. "_I'm_ the one here without any--"

He stopped talking when Teal'c grabbed his collar and pulled him in so close that they were face to face. "If there _are_ any raptors still on the loose," Teal'c calmly said, "then would they not be attracted by the sound of your voice?"

Rodney McKay just nodded in wide-eyed terror at him.

Teal'c nodded back at him. "Then perhaps it would be best if you kept silent, Doctor McKay."

When he nodded his agreement once more, Teal'c released him. McKay quietly and meekly took up position next to a smiling Doctor Fraiser. Teal'c glanced over at O'Neill, who gratefully mouthed the words "thank you" at him.

Teal'c nodded back in acknowledgement.

They left the maze without further incident.

**SG-1: SVU**

It took some convincing, but Casey eventually managed to get Char'el to go along with her idea--as crazy as it sounded. Casey freely admitted that she didn't really have any idea how they were going to bust Io'tan out of her prison cell, but it was when Casey told Char'el that the Priestesses-In-Waiting all had a better chance of surviving with Io'tan back in charge that he was finally persuaded.

It was pretty obvious that Char'el--this hulking, intimidating warrior--cared very deeply for these girls in such a tender, big brotherly way that Casey couldn't help but be touched by it. Just speaking about the possibility of anything bad occurring to the girls was enough to give Char'el panic fits.

The first order of business, since Elliot/Ke'tesh had told Char'el that they would be coming after them, was to move all the young Priestesses to a place of safety. But that was easier said than done. A look outside the windows, at the growing chaos in the streets, clearly indicated that places of safety on Mount Tanis were rapidly dwindling. As she considered the grim impossibility of this situation, Casey despondently thought, 'Now I almost wish that Char'el had left me tied up in the storage room….'

And that was when the idea struck her.

"Char'el," she said, turning to face him. "What about the place where you captured me earlier? The storage area under the pool?"

"What of it?" he asked, as he turned away from consulting with one of his Jaffa.

"Would that be large enough to serve as a hiding place for all the girls?" Casey asked. "If so, it would be perfect, because it's underground--which might offer more safety from the firefight out there."

"And it is near the pool area, which is the last place anyone would go in these unsettled times," Char'el said with a nod. "And yes, Casey Novak, it is large enough for everyone. It goes much further back from where you chose to hide. It would be a perfect hiding place. Come, let us get them there!"

Casey figured that gathering up all of the Priestess-In-Waiting would be an epic and time consuming affair--but she was delighted to see everything go very smoothly, thanks to the older girls, who served as chaperones for the younger ones. Watching the large group of young priestesses assemble into two neat rows, Casey realized something else: there were no slaves in the employ of Io'tan and her Jaffa.

When she mentioned this fact to Char'el, he said, "Io'tan never wanted slaves. She did not want the Priestesses to be waited on, but rather to do things for themselves. She felt that made them more self-sufficient."

"That they are," Casey said, with an approving nod, as she watched the girls calmly march out of Io'tan's private chambers. They were protected by an outer ring of armed Jaffa warriors who marched in synch with their charges. "Where do these girls come from?"

"Many of them are daughters from slave families, cast-outs and orphans," Char'el explained, as he and Casey began to run in step with the others. "Io'tan had been secretly giving them sanctuary, right under Mut's nose--even when Mut was the High Priestess--in an effort to provide them with a better life."

The journey to the storage area was uneventful, thanks mainly to the fact that the ongoing violence had cleared the streets. The large armed contingent of Jaffa were also a big help; the very sight of which easily scared off the few rioters they came across. And when they encountered a Jaffa check point, Char'el was able to bluff his way through without incident--while Casey stood meekly by with her head held low in her best slave impersonation.

Casey let out a sigh of relief once everybody was safely inside the storage area beneath the pool. Char'el was right; the area stretched further back than Casey had initially thought.

As she stood by the doorway, watching as a squadron of fighters made a strafing run on a section of the city further down from them, Casey slowly shook her head. She was surprised that the Jaffa loyal to Mut didn't clamp down on all this violence yet. It almost looked as if they were hoping that the riot would burn itself out--but that didn't sound like the standard tactics of the Netian Empire Jaffa, who were known for their brutality.

Char'el came over to her and said, "Have you given any thought as to how we will free Io'tan from prison?"

Casey stared back at him, wide-eyed. She hadn't been giving that too much thought because, quite frankly, she still had no idea how they were going to rescue Io'tan.

Char'el held up what looked like a small computer chip. It had a flat, smooth side that was opaque, and dark purple in color. "This will open her jail cell, if you press it up against the wall in the right place. However, we still need to get inside. We have plenty of armed Jaffa, but I would rather keep them here to guard the Priestesses."

"Is there another way in there?" Casey asked. "A back door?"

"Yes, but that back door can only be opened from the inside," Char'el answered. "We would still have to fight our way through the front entrance, which is heavily guarded."

For some odd reason, a scene from Star Wars popped into Casey's mind just now. Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, who were dressed up in the white armor of the evil storm troopers, had placed handcuffs on Chewbacca in an attempt to gain access to the Death Star's detention level by pretending Chewbacca was their prisoner.

'If only it were as easy as that,' Casey thought. But then she smiled as she realized, 'Wait, what if it _was_ that easy?'

"Why do you smile, Casey Novak?" Char'el asked.

"Because I think I've got a plan," Casey replied. "You can be Han Solo to my Chewbacca…."

Char'el just gave her a puzzled look. "Chew…what?"

**SG-1: SVU**

Ke'tesh smiled as he viewed the violence and devastation outside the royal temple. When he saw another explosion from down the street, he realized that the riots were escalating.

'Good,' Ke'tesh thought. 'Very good.'

While Mut was still convalescing in bed, Ke'tesh had quietly assumed control of her forces--all under the pretense of still following the orders of the stricken Lord Empress; when the fact was Ke'tesh had never even tried to consult with Mut on _any_ of the decisions he had made.

He deliberately held back on Jaffa reinforcements, which kept the Jaffa who were fighting in the streets overwhelmed. Ke'tesh also deliberately pulled back on the number of strafing runs by the death gliders--and while he made these obviously stupid decisions, which only encouraged the riots to grow stronger, Ke'tesh helplessly blamed them on Mut.

The result was that Ke'tesh had planted the seeds of dissent within the Jaffa commanders, whom he hoped to count on when he eventually wrested control of the empire from Mut. If he could just keep this up for a little longer, just keep stoking the fires until Ke'tesh had created just enough discord for a coup to be acceptable--a coup that would see him as the new Lord Emperor.

Yet as he walked towards the private bedroom of Her Lord Empress, Ke'tesh was surprised to see her angrily fling open the doors. "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" she screamed. "WHAT IS GOING ON, HERE?"

"My Lord Empress," Ke'tesh said, feigning concern. "I am so glad that you are all--"

"Who dared to throw things at me?!" she shouted at him.

"The Tauri women's escape from the maze has caused mayhem in the streets, my Lord Empress," Ke'tesh reported. "I have tried to quell these insolent rioters, but dared not use the full measure of Jaffa force, for it is not my--"

"They dare to riot, in the streets of Mount Tanis?!" Mut asked with shock, as she glared out at some of the fighting through a massive window. "As if it wasn't enough that these ungrateful wretches tried to strike me down?! Kill them, Ke'tesh. Have the Jaffa kill them all!"

Ke'tesh bowed. "At once, my Lord Empress. The rioters will be squashed like--"

"No, not just the rioters!" Mut screamed. "All of them! All of the slovenly wretches who infest Mount Tanis must be killed! I want the Jaffa to leave no home untouched! From now on, Mount Tanis shall be a royal residence only! Only _I_ am worthy enough to walk these streets, alone!"

Ke'tesh was taken aback by that order of genocide, but he still nodded. Many of the Jaffa had families living in Mount Tanis, and Ke'tesh doubted very much that they would kill their own loved ones--especially to appease an unpopular and crazed Lord Empress who had already narrowly survived an assassination attempt. And just by giving this order, he may well be condemning Mut to her well-deserved doom.

'It appears that the time for me to assume command of the empire has come much sooner than expected,' Ke'tesh thought with delight.

**SG-1: SVU**

Casey and Char'el had slowly and carefully made their way through the riot-ravaged streets of Mount Tanis, until the burly Jaffa gently grabbed the petite woman's arm. "This is close enough," Char'el said. "We should get ready."

Casey allowed him to lead her into what looked like a dead end alleyway. Char'el looked very uneasy as he said, "If I am to bring you inside as a captured slave, then it would be best if you…."

"If I _looked_ like a captured slave," Casey said with a nod. "Don't worry about it, Char'el. Just do what you have to do to make it look good, ok?"

"In that case," Char'el said, as he offered her the chip which Casey had dubbed the keypad. "You should keep this in a safe place on your person."

"Check," Casey replied, as she instinctively went to slid the keypad into her pocket--only to discover that she had no pocket. She glanced down at her skimpy slave outfit and, in that instant, realized why the slaves on Mount Tanis were dressed this way: there was no place on their scant outfits for them to put an item, thus making it hard for them to steal anything.

'Leave it to the fascist-minded to be so thorough,' Casey angrily thought, as she slipped the keypad so that it rested snugly between the material of her bikini top and her bosom.

When she glanced at Char'el, Casey was amused to see that he had averted his eyes while she was busy making adjustments to her top. She told him that she was ready, and he held up a thong strip, looking even more uncomfortable. He was a fascinating study in contrasts--a pure, fearless warrior with a gentle, decent side. The more time Casey spent with Char'el, the more she liked him.

"Uh--front or back?" Casey asked.

"Back," he said guiltily. "I shall free you once we arrive there."

"How should I act as you bring me in there?" Casey asked, as her wrists were tied behind her. "Should I be fighting you?"

"Pretend as if you were hit with a zat'nik'tel. Do you remember what you have to do, once you are inside?"

"Use the keypad to get out of my cell, then find Io'tan, free her, and then bring her around to the back door," Casey recited. "Where you will be waiting for us."

When he was done, Char'el placed a hand on her bare shoulder and gently turned her around so that she faced him. "Very well. Ready?"

When Casey nodded, Char'el easily hefted her up. Casey then spent the rest of the trip lying prone over his shoulder with her eyes closed--which was actually hard to do, thanks to the steady drone of explosions and gunfire in the distance. But Casey calmed herself as best she could and settled into her role. Never in her life had Casey ever imagined that she would be going undercover like this. This was the sort of thing that Olivia always did, while Casey--who was a lawyer by trade--was always stuck in the office. But then, she never imagined being abducted by aliens and getting sucked into the intrigues of an intergalactic empire, either.

'I just hope I don't screw it up,' Casey desperately thought. 'So much is at stake here--so many lives depend on us. I hope I can pull this off.'

Her journey soon came to an end as Char'el entered a structure and began to speak to someone about her. "An escaped slave," Casey overheard him say. "I caught her trying to escape by the--"

"I'll take her," another man's voice said, cutting him off. "Return to your post, Jaffa."

"Allow me to untie her, first," Char'el said.

Casey's eyes shot open when she felt a pair of hands roughly grab her from Char'el's shoulder. Then she let out a grunt once she was slung over the shoulder of another Jaffa.

"Forget this insolent wretch and return to your post, Jaffa," he commanded. "We need every warrior out on the streets right now."

Casey shot Char'el a look of horror as she was being hauled away down a dark corridor. Char'el, who was surrounded by a group of bustling Jaffa in a command center, gave her a helpless shrug before he turned to leave.

'Damn it, why'd I let him tie me?' Casey wondered in a panic. 'If I was supposed to be knocked out by a zat, I probably shouldn't have been tied in the first place! Now I'm being locked up with my hands bound! What the hell was I thinking?! Oh, Christ, I really _suck_ at this undercover stuff!'

Casey stared wide-eyed at the passing cells, which were packed with people--men, women and children--who all stared back at her with equal helplessness.

The Jaffa brought her before a cell door at the very end of the corridor. He opened it and was about to toss Casey inside, until she quickly wriggled from his grasp and dropped down to the floor. He let out a bemused grunt, and muttered something under his breath about how quickly she recovered from a zat'nik'tel blast, as he turned to leave her in the cell.

"Um, wait, would you mind untying me?" Casey called to him just as the cell bars slammed to a close in front of her face.

"Your cell mate can help you with that," he muttered, as he stalked back down the corridor.

"My cell mate?" Casey whispered, as she spun around and stared fearfully into the blackness of her cell. "And just who would _that_ be?"

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice echoed, as a pair of eyes glowed unnaturally bright within the darkness. "If it isn't my little porcelain doll…."

"Oh, my God," Casey moaned, as she recoiled from the sight of Osiris, who advanced hungrily upon her. "You have _got_ to be _kidding _me!!!"

**SG-1: SVU**

Once they got clear of the maze, it was a simple matter of choosing one of the doors in the coliseum that led to the streets. The coliseum was not only completely empty of spectators, but it was severely damaged from several fires that raged in the seating areas. O'Neill paused to stare at the body of a Jaffa a few feet away from them--he had obviously been either thrown, or fallen, to the ground from the stands above.

"Do these people know how to party, or what?" Satterfield muttered incredulously behind him.

O'Neill needed a broader tactical view of this situation. He turned to Carter and asked, "Were the crowds especially rowdy when you and Liv were in the maze?"

Carter shook her head. "They were yelling and carrying on, but nothing this drastic, sir."

"This looks like it happened after we left," Olivia commented.

"You may have inadvertently caused a riot," Daniel said. He gestured at the rising columns of black smoke in the distance. "One that spread to the rest of the city."

When Carter and Olivia exchanged horrified looks, Daniel added, "I'm not saying it was your fault! I mean, you guys were just doing whatever you could to survive, and that's great. But in doing so, it's very likely that you ruined a scared ritual which--in turn--shattered the people's core beliefs."

"Well, I wouldn't have wanted that situation to be any different than it turned out," Olivia said. "I'm just sorry if any innocent people wound up getting hurt."

"_He_ wasn't innocent," O'Neill muttered, with a nod at the dead Jaffa. He keyed his radio and said, "Sierra Gulf One to Little Bird--Jacob, you there? Over."

"Yeah, Jack," Jacob responded over the radio. "Reading you loud and clear. Where are you? Over."

"Just got out of the maze, but still in the coliseum," O'Neill replied. "How far are we from the vault? Over."

"It's due west of you, about a klick away," Jacob responded. "Over."

Carter consulted her compass and indicated the direction by pointing to their right.

"Jack, you've got some heavy duty street fighting in-between you and the vault," Jacob said. "There are only a few clear streets that we can see up here. We'll be happy to give you a--WHOA! Watch the…!"

When there was a burst of static, an alarmed O'Neill keyed the radio once more. "Sierra Gulf One to Little Bird. Little Bird, come in! Are you there, Jacob?! Over!"

"Yeah, yeah, Jack," Jacob replied, sounding frazzled. "We were hovering directly over you in stealth mode, and just nearly got rammed by a death glider. But we're still here, and in one piece. Over."

An anxious Carter let out a relieved sigh, as both Olivia and Janet reached over and patted her arm and shoulder in support.

"Stay up there, Little Bird," O'Neill told them. "We'll get to the vault on foot. You can be our eyes in the sky. Over."

"Rodger that, Jack," Jacob replied. "Good luck. Over."

"Carter, you're on my six," O'Neill said. "Doc, you're behind her; Olivia, behind the doc; Daniel behind Liv. Dr. McKay, you're in-between Hailey and Satterfield, and Teal'c brings up the rear. Everybody clear?"

When he received their nods, O'Neill continued: "We move single-file, close to the wall. Ok? Let's move."

Rodney held his hand up, as if he were a student in a classroom. "Uh, excuse me?"

"What?!" O'Neill replied, annoyed.

"It's just that, with all this fighting going on, how do we know the Asgard Slayer hasn't already been destroyed?" Rodney said.

"We don't," O'Neill responded. "Which is why we're going to check it out right now."

"But-but-but there's a major war going on out there!" Rodney cried. "Why are we going right _into_ it?!"

"Because the chaos will work to our advantage," Teal'c answered for O'Neill. "The chances of our presence being detected will be very unlikely, since the Jaffa will be too concerned with trying to maintain order."

"Sir, you think this could be an uprising?" Carter asked.

"Would be nice if it was," Daniel said. "We could be witnessing the death throes of the Netian Empire right now."

"Which would be all the more reason to get to the vault ASAP," O'Neill said. "Just in case Mut doesn't try to use the Asgard Slayer--or anything else in there--out of desperation. Ok, let's go!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Rodney said, waving his hands. "But what about the--?"

O'Neill pointed at him and said, "Lt. Hailey, if he asks another dumb question again, feel free to pummel him senseless!"

"Yes, sir!" Hailey said with a broad grin. "Thank you, sir!"

"Oh, come on!" Rodney cried, as they began moving out of the coliseum in single file. "What did I ever do to you?"

"First dumb question," Satterfield cheerily announced.

"Ok, ok…I'll shut up," Rodney muttered, just as Hailey was about to turn around and hit him.

**SG-1: SVU**

Qetesh gazed out the window, at the vast fleet of Ha'tak ships which Ba'al had assembled for this assault. They were presently hidden behind the largest planet in the Mount Tanis system, a gas giant with swirling clouds that blocked out her view of the stars beyond.

Ba'al had halted the advance when the advance scouts had detected the Netian fleet scattered about the planet in a rigid sphere formation. At first Ba'al had feared that Neith--whose skills and cunning in combat were legendary--had been expecting them. They launched a spy satellite, disguised as a tiny meteorite, into the atmosphere of Mount Tanis to try and ascertain what was going on in the wily mind of her Lord Empress Neith.

Qetesh stared at the magnificent and awe-inspiring sight of their fleet, which was made up of two thirds of their overall forces. And she couldn't help but feel very anxious. Despite the maximum firepower that Ba'al had brought to bear, they were still attacking a rather formidable opponent--and if they lost, they would most likely lose everything.

Just when Qetesh began to wonder if they had bitten off more than they could chew, Ba'al entered the lounge with his arms swept grandly out. Qetesh noted that he held what looked like print-out photos in one hand.

"Great news, my love," Ba'al said, grinning broadly. "Mount Tanis is ours for the taking!"

When Qetesh stared at him with disbelief, he held out the photos for her to see. As she flipped through the pictures--which were from the spy satellite and showed a bird's eye view of the ground--Qetesh's eyes grew large with amazement. The photos showed nothing less than mass turmoil and wide-spread destruction in the streets of the fabled city.

"Have they come under attack?" she asked.

Ba'al shook his head. "It's an uprising, my dear. A full-scale riot by the citizens. Think about it: for us to arrive here now, while this is happening--it only means that we were _meant_ to take Mount Tanis for ourselves."

"The Netian Empire is about to fall--right into our hands," Qetesh said with a smile. "What shall we do now?"

"The only thing we can do," Ba'al replied, as his eyes glowed brilliantly. "Attack!"

**SG-1: SVU**

'Of all the people I could have been thrown in jail with,' Casey wearily thought. 'It had to be _this_ crazy broad….'

"Just when I was beginning to feel lonely," Osiris said, as she caressed Casey's face. "My little porcelain doll returns to make me feel better."

'Damn it,' Casey thought. With her hands still bound, there wasn't much she could do to stop Osiris from doing whatever she wanted. Casey quickly realized that if she was going to break out of this cell, she would need help from the Goa'uld. "Osiris, listen to me--"

Osiris angrily gripped Casey's bare arms. "I am your god! And, as such, I demand you to give me the proper respect I deserve! Call me 'my mistress'. I always love the way you say it, anyway…so meekly, like a perfect little--"

"Just shut up and listen to me!" Casey roared back at her. When she continued, Casey lowered her voice. "I can get the both of us out of here, right now. Just untie my hands, please…."

Osiris shook her head with a smile as she began to rub her hands up and down Casey's arms. "I think I prefer you this way, my little por--"

"You mean you'd rather just stay here and paw me, instead of us making our escape from this cell _right now_?" Casey asked her, point blank. She decided to play to the woman's vanity. "The sooner we can get out of here Osiris, the sooner you can become queen of the universe."

"I already _am_ the queen of the universe," Osiris told her.

"Oh, I see," Casey said with a nod. "I guess the rest of the universe didn't get the memo yet, huh?"

"What do you have planned, Tauri?" Osiris asked, growing annoyed.

Casey turned her back towards the woman and said, "Untie me, and you'll find out--not before."

Osiris grumbled under her breath as she freed Casey's wrists. When Casey reached into her top for the keypad that Char'el gave her, Osiris' face lit up with delight.

"Relax," Casey told her, as she held up the keypad. "I was just getting this, that's all."

Casey turned and saw the raised panel on the wall beside the cell doorway. She rubbed the keypad over this blank panel, just as Char'el taught her to do, and the cell door flew open.

"Excellent," Osiris said, pleased. She strode into the hallway and gestured for Casey to follow her. "Come, slave."

"Not without Io'tan," Casey said, heading in the other direction. There was one more cell down here, and she wanted to check that before….

'Bingo,' Casey thought, smiling, once she saw Io'tan seated by herself on the floor of the cell. She rubbed the keypad over the panel--Char'el told her that it would work on either side of the wall--and the cell door slid open.

Io'tan stared up at her with surprise. "Casey Novak, what are you doing?"

"Freeing you," Casey replied. "Char'el is waiting outside."

"What is going on?" Io'tan asked. "I thought I heard gunfire outside. Are the riots still continuing?"

"Yes, it's getting very hairy out there," Casey said. "But don't worry, we have the Priestesses In Waiting all safely hidden in a secure spot."

"What are your plans?"

Casey smiled. "The very same thing you've planned to do, Io'tan. There's never been a better time to steal a Ha'tak than right now. But we must go, quickly!"

Io'tan reached out and grabbed Casey's arm. "Wait! I am so sorry. I was dreadfully wrong about you…."

"What part of 'we must go quickly' do you not understand, you stupid bitch?" Osiris growled from the doorway.

"Why is _she_ here?" Io'tan asked Casey, with an annoyed glance at Osiris.

"My hands were tied--literally--and Osiris freed me," Casey said with a shake of her head. "She's just along for the ride. I had no choice. Char'el spoke of a back door in this place."

"Yes," Io'tan said, gesturing with her hand. "It is to the left, down the hallway. I'll show you."

Once they emerged into the hallway, Casey paused when she saw a little boy peering fearfully at her from behind the bars of one of the cells. There was an equally frightened little girl with him--along with the several dozen men women and other children who were huddled up against the bars. Many of them called out to Casey, desperately reaching for her with their hands that they managed to stick in-between the bars.

"Get back!" Casey ordered them. "Back away from the door!"

"Casey Novak," Io'tan called. "What is wrong? Are we not leaving?"

"We are," Casey firmly said, as she waved the keypad over the panel of the cell. "And we're taking everybody who's in here with us."

**SG-1: SVU**

'Something is wrong,' Char'el thought.

He anxiously waited outside the back door to the prison center, wondering what was taking so long. He hoped she didn't have any trouble getting her hands free. 'I should have insisted on untying Casey Novak,' he chided himself. 'Perhaps the fact that she is held up was because she was placed alone in her cell with her hands still bound.'

Char'el thought of his options. He could go back in through the front door, on the pretense of needing to check on Casey Novak for something--but what if she was already working on her escape? He might draw unneeded attention to her. He let out a sigh. This situation was so nerve-wracking.

'Give me a battle with an opponent on equal terms,' he thought miserably. 'This skulking around is just too--'

His thoughts were shattered when Char'el saw the back door swing open. He ran towards it, his staff weapon at the ready--until he relaxed when he saw both Casey Novak and Io'tan. Before he could say anything, the Goa'uld Osiris abruptly shoved her way past the women and Char'el. She brandished a pair of zat'nik'tels in her hands.

"My mistress, are you all right?" Char'el asked.

"I am fine," she said warmly. "Thank you, Char'el--for coming after me."

"It was my honor, my mistress," he said. He glanced past them, down the hall, and was stunned to see a multitude of people waiting inside. "The guards?"

"They've been taken care of," Casey Novak informed him. "Once Osiris found where the zats were stored, she took them all down."

Char'el glanced down at Casey Novak, and gave her a warm hug. "I am glad to see you are well, too."

He was overjoyed to see the broad smile that she gave him. Then Casey Novak abruptly grew thoughtful. "Um, these Ha'tak ships," she said. "They're really big, right?"

"Yes, they are," he replied. "They are almost cities themselves."

"Good," Casey Novak said. She then gestured back at the large crowd of humanity behind them. "Because they're all coming with us."

"Oh, I see," Char'el said with great surprise. "Very well…."

There was another explosion, but this time, it came from above them. Char'el glanced up and saw that there was a series of very bright flashes of light that came from the heavens above, followed by booming noises that shattered windows in several buildings.

"That can't be a storm brewing?" Casey Novak asked. "Is it?"

"No," Char'el said, and the chill he felt in his heart could be heard in the tone of his voice. "I believe we are under attack from space…."

Casey Novak and Io'tan stood in mute shock at what he had just told them.

The silence was broken when Osiris, after having a look around at the devastation caused by the riots, turned back to them and said, "You people simply do _not_ know how to run an empire…."

**SG-1: SVU**

"You're clear through the rest of that street, Jack," Jacob said, as he intently peered at Mount Tanis below him. "But you've got firefights at the end, on all streets leading from that one. Over."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," Jack replied over the radio. "We've got to get down _this_ street, first. Over."

"Rodger, over," Jacob replied, as he watched the little line of ants move down the street that he had picked out for them. His only daughter, Sam, was among that line of ants. Jacob thought Sam was the one directly behind Jack, but he couldn't be sure. Jacob didn't want to adjust the mag on the view screen, because he needed to keep a broad view of the area on hand in order to guide them past the hot spots.

Jacob had brought his teltac high enough above the city so that it was out of the line of fire of the rioters, as well as the Jaffa and death gliders trying to squash them. He watched as SG-1 carefully made its way through the embattled city, thanks to special cameras that had been mounted on the underbelly of his ship.

Bra'tac rapidly tapped his shoulder. "They could go through that broad space there, avoiding the streets entirely!"

"What broad…oh yeah, I see it. It's the one with the big pool, right?"

Bra'tac nodded. "Yes, that is it."

Jacob noted that SG-1 had just walked past the only entrance to that area on their street. "Jack, stop now! Over."

After SG-1 halted, Jack came on the radio. "What is it, Jacob? Over."

"That doorway, just behind you, it leads to an open area with a man-made pool of water," Bra'tac said.

"You can use it to cut across to the vault, avoiding all the hotspots that are ahead of you, Jack," Jacob added. "Over."

"Bless you guys!" Jack said on the radio. "Proceeding as per your new directions now. Over."

Jacob smiled, until he saw bright flashing erupt all around the teltac. Then alarms went off as the ship shuddered violently.

"The hell is going on?" Jacob said, as he struggled to regain control of the ship. "We're well above getting hit by any of the action on the ground."

"Perhaps the 'action' has moved up here," Bra'tac said. "Turn us around, so that we are facing space."

"Got it," Jacob replied.

Just as he turned the teltac upwards, one of the Ha'tak ships erupted in a brilliant ball of light.

"Damn it," Jacob muttered. "They must be on to us, because they just launched their--"

Jacob then stopped short when he realized that the Ha'tak had now broken up into a million smaller, flaming pieces that flew pell-mell about them. He knew now that they didn't launch their seeker wave.

The Ha'tak had exploded.

Then Jacob saw the cause. A second Ha'tak-class vessel had swung into view. Unlike the Ha'taks of the Netian Empire, this was the traditional design of the system lords that they were used to--with a different, shield-like symbol that had rounded, pointed edges.

"It is Ba'al," Bra'tac said solmenly.

"Ba'al? What the hell is _he_ doing here?!" Jacob asked.

"Attacking the planet," Bra'tac answered.

'Jaffa are so literal,' Jacob thought. He maneuvered the ship away from the firefight that broke out above them, feeling very much like a gnat who got stuck in the middle of an elephant battle. "Ok, we should get to--"

He was cut off when the teltac was struck by something--at least that was what it felt like to Jacob, an object striking the side of the ship, hard. There was an explosion behind him as a panel blew out of the wall, shooting sparks.

And then the controls went dead.

Jacob stared wide-eyed at the underbelly feed as the ground began rushing up at them. "Brace yourself, Bra'tac!"

After trying to do everything in his power to either stop or slow their descent, Jacob faced the inevitable fact: they were crashing.

He keyed the radio. "Jack, come in Jack. Little Bird is crashing! I say again: Little Bird is crashing!"

**SG-1: SVU**

"Jacob!" Jack shouted, as he keyed his radio.

Sam stared at him fearfully. She and the rest of SG-1 were almost halfway across the pool area that Jacob and Bra'tac had pointed out for them when she had just heard her father say that they were crashing.

Jack had gestured for them to halt as he continued to key his radio. "Little Bird, come in, Little Bird. Jacob, are you there?! Damn it!"

"Jack, look!" Olivia pointed.

Sam glanced up and watched with horror as a flaming teltac ship crashed to the ground a few blocks away from them. She couldn't see the impact, thanks to a building that blocked their view. Sam continued to stare wide-eyed at the column of black smoke that rose up from the crash site, until she felt a hand gently rub the side of her neck.

It was Jack.

"Your dad, and Bra'tac, are both tough old birds," he told her. "C'mon, let's make a detour and pick them up."

"O'Neill!" Teal'c said, he gestured to the skies with his staff weapon.

When Sam glanced up with the others, she was further horrified to see what looked like a meteor shower falling all over Mount Tanis. Yet there was something oddly familiar about the blazing shapes, which had square angles. Then it hit her.

"My God, sir," Sam said, grabbing his arm. "That's the remnants of a Ha'tak, falling to the planet."

"Some parts of which are falling this way!" Rodney nervously added, as he gestured wildly at a large chunk of debris that fell straight towards them.

"We need to find shelter, fast," Jack said. "We'll check on Jacob and Bra'tac once the smoke clears."

Sam desperately glanced around, until she saw a large group of civilians run into a shelter that was built under the pool. "Sir!"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, Carter, I see it. Everybody follow those guys! MOVE IT!"

'Dad, Bra'tac, just please hold on,' Sam thought, as she and the others broke into a run for the shelter. 'We'll get to you as soon as we can!'

**SG-1: SVU**

"Is everybody here?!" Casey called around to the assembled group, once they had arrived. "Did everybody make in inside?"

Char'el, who did his own head count, nodded. "Yes, Casey Novak. Everyone is here."

Casey nodded. "Good, and not a movement too soon. That piece of debris should be hitting here any--"

"LOOK OUT!" Char'el shouted.

Casey whirled around to see a group of black-clad people entering the storage area right behind her. No sooner did they enter then they raised their weapons at them.

Acting on instinct, Casey aimed her zat at the opponent who was the closest to her. It was a woman, with dark brown hair flowing out from under her cap and dark feline eyes that were oddly familiar.

Once she got a good look at Casey, the woman lowered her own zat and stared at her in amazement. And in that moment, Casey realized that she knew this woman all too well.

"Olivia?" she asked in a stunned whisper.

"Casey," she replied, her mouth spreading into a joyous smile. "Oh my G--"

They were both knocked to the floor as a giant tremor rumbled throughout the storage area. The doorway was instantly blocked out as everything around Casey and Olivia fell into blackness.

**To Be Continued....**


	11. Chapter 11

_I'd like to thank MiaRose 156 for her kind words. I appreciate them, as always. _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Eleven**

Once she hit the floor, Olivia found herself in total darkness as a deep rumbling sound reverberated through everything around her. The very ground beneath her shook, as she struggled to sit up. The blackness was so total that Olivia could barely see her own hand in front of her face. When she felt someone touch her leg, Olivia reached out and grabbed a bare arm.

"Casey?" she asked.

"Olivia," Casey replied, with obvious relief in her voice.

When Olivia pulled the woman into a tight hug, she was stunned at how Casey's entire back was bare, save for the thin straps of her top. Olivia had caught a glimpse of Casey's meager outfit just before the lights had gone out, and had wondered in a panic about just what the hell these people were planning to do to her in this dungeon. She had wanted to ask Casey if she was all right; she had wanted to ask if she had been harmed; mostly, Olivia had wanted to ask if anyone had hurt Casey, so she could personally pistol-whip the bastards.

But instead of that, Olivia simply held Casey close. And, for her part, Casey didn't seem to mind. Olivia had barely noticed that the rumbling had now ceased.

A flashlight came on, as O'Neill's voice said, "Everybody all right? Sound off, folks."

Several more flashlights came on, as each SG-1 member, including Olivia, called out that they were ok. Olivia reluctantly broke her embrace with Casey and helped her to her feet.

A concerned Sam came over with her own flashlight lit up. "You ok, Liv?"

"Marvelous," she replied with a smile. "Look who I found."

Sam's eyes were comically wide as she stared with a mixture of surprise and delight at Casey. "Holy Hannah, Casey!"

"Casey?" Janet Fraiser said, as she also rushed over. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Doctor Fraiser," Casey replied, smiling. "I'm fine."

"Oh, whoa! A real, live space princess!" Rodney excitedly exclaimed, pointing at Casey. When he ran up to her, a confused Casey took a few steps back from him. "Um, how do you do, your Highness? My name is--"

"Rodney, no!" Janet tried to explain. "This is--"

"Get away from her!" one of the Jaffa angrily shouted, as he rose to his feet with a staff weapon at the ready.

Olivia and Sam protectively shoved Casey behind them as they, along with the rest of SG-1, raised their weapons at this new threat.

"No! Stop!" Casey cried, as she ran out from behind Olivia and stood in front of the hulking Jaffa. "Char'el, it's all right. These people are my friends. They are Tauri. They're here to help us."

To Olivia's surprise, the Jaffa lowered his weapon as he gazed at Casey with concern. "You are not harmed?" he asked.

"I am fine, Char'el," Casey assured him. "It's ok."

After introducing everybody to each other, Casey then turned towards SG-1 and added, "Char'el and the other Jaffa you see are ok. They're in the service of Io'tan here. Nobody here has anything to do with Mut. Most of these people, including Io'tan, were imprisoned in Mut's name. We were all trying to get away from her by leaving Mount Tanis."

"All of you?" O'Neill asked skeptically. "You're going to need a pretty big ship."

Olivia saw what he meant. There must have been several hundred people gathered in the vast area before them, including a large group of young women and girls who were all clad in white.

"Well, we _were_ planning on stealing a Ha'tak," Casey said.

"Really?" O'Neill asked, impressed. "Oh. Well…ok, then."

"But since you guys are here, that plan is no longer needed, now," Casey said brightly. "I mean, you have your own way off the planet, right?"

"Um, you might want to hang on to _your _plan, just in case," Daniel told her.

"Yeah, nothing wrong with having a plan B," O'Neill added. He gestured at the collapsed entrance behind him and added, "Say, you guys wouldn't happen to know of another way out of here? Two members of our team crash-landed nearby, and we really need to check on them."

"There is another exit on the opposite end of this storage area," Char'el told them. He then frowned at Teal'c. "You are a Jaffa."

"Indeed I am," Teal'c replied.

"You work for the Tauri?"

"No, I work _with_ the Tauri," Teal'c corrected him. "It is our mission to overthrow the tyranny imposed on the people of the galaxy by the Goa'uld."

Olivia exchanged a puzzled look with Sam when she noticed that Io'tan stared at the both of them in amazement.

"Excuse me," Sam said to her. "But is something wrong?"

"You two," Io'tan said, as she gestured at them. "You were the ones who escaped the maze!"

"Um, yeah, we are," Olivia sheepishly admitted.

When many within the crowd began murmuring excitedly, Daniel came over to Olivia's side and whispered, "Sam, Liv, remove your caps."

With an uneasy glance at each other, Olivia and Sam both removed their caps at the same time. Once the people got a better look at them, the murmurs became joyful shouts as the crowd rejoiced at being in the presence of the two women, whom they appeared to think of as being heroes.

Sam looked just as uncomfortable with all of this intense attention as Olivia did, especially when the crowds began to chant the word 'Tauri' over and over again. Although Char'el and the other Jaffa quieted them down, the crowd's excitement was still unabated.

"If it is your mission to overthrow tyranny," Io'tan said, with an awed tone in her voice. "I must say that you have done a spectacular job of it here on Mount Tanis. Know that your escape in the maze has had the effect that you desired; the regime of Mut is on the verge of toppling. Your mission was a great success."

"Oh, uh, no," Sam quickly started to say, "we didn't really…."

"Yeah," Olivia added, "we never actually meant to--"

"You sound as if you're not too bothered by the possible fall of your empire," O'Neill said to Io'tan, cutting off both Olivia and Sam.

"The loss of life and the destruction does bother me, Colonel O'Neill," Io'tan admitted. "But, under the rule of Mut, the Netian Empire has begun to flounder, and life under the regime become as dangerous as a loose thunder lizard. I had already decided to leave Mount Tanis with my girls long before you put your plan into motion."

"Your girls?" Daniel asked.

Io'tan gestured to the women in white behind her. "The Priestesses In Waiting. I am their High Priestess--or I was, before Mut decided to pervert our sacred order by ignoring thousands of years of tradition. As Casey Novak mentioned before, we were in the process of stealing a Ha'tak. Is your presence here to deter us?"

"No," O'Neill replied. "We need to get to the vault, and deny Mut the use of the weapons inside--after we pick up our men, of course."

"It is better to simply destroy the Mount Tanis vault completely," Io'tan said with a look of dread. "It contains many horrible things, but none are worse than Inpu, the Dark One himself."

"Who?" O'Neill asked.

"She's referring to Anubis, Jack," Daniel said. "Inpu is the ancient Egyptian name for the god of the dead. Anubis is actually the name given to him by the Greeks. To the Egyptians, he was a jackal-headed god of mummification and the afterlife."

"He had the head of a jackal?" Hailey said, wide-eyed. "Maybe it's just as well he was wearing that hood!"

"You have seen him?!" Io'tan anxiously asked. "You have _seen_ the Dark One?!"

"Relax. He was trapped within a stasis chamber," O'Neill assured her.

"Do you know if he's still alive, in suspended animation?" Daniel asked Io'tan. "Or is he dead?"

"He is still alive," Io'tan replied with a shudder. "Of all the adversaries that Neith had fought, Inpu--or, as _he_ preferred to be called, Anubis--was one of the hardest to defeat."

"Neith finally met another master tactician, huh?" O'Neill said.

Io'tan shook her head. "No. Anubis could not be killed, no matter how hard Neith tried. Even after he was defeated and brought before Neith as a prisoner. The Dark One is…unnatural."

"The more I hear about this guy, the less I like him," Olivia said, as she rubbed the goosebumps on her arm.

"Which is all the more reason why we've got to get over there, ASAP," O'Neill said. "Look, Io'tan, we'd be willing to give you a hand with stealing the Ha'tak--provided you'd give us a lift out of here."

Io'tan looked confused. "A lift?"

"He means to give them a ride," Casey explained. "To take them off Mount Tanis, as well."

"You would help us?" Char'el said, surprised.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "As Casey Novak has told you, we are not your enemy. And our goals are mutually shared."

"In that case, then the answer is yes," Io'tan said. "We shall welcome your help, and help you in turn."

"Hey," Casey abruptly said, "where has Osiris gone to?"

Daniel looked shocked. "Osiris? She was here?!"

"She was in the prison cell with me, just before we busted out of there," Casey said. "She came with us down here, but now I don't see her at all."

Now it was Olivia's turn to be shocked. "You busted out of prison, Casey? _You_?!"

"It was Casey Novak's idea," Char'el said, with obvious pride. "She pretended to be captured so she could taken to the prison. Once inside, she freed Io'tan."

When Olivia gave her a stunned look, Casey asked, "What?"

"I'm just wondering when did you become Princess Leia," Olivia said with amazement.

"Actually, she looks more like Dejah Thoris," Rodney muttered, as he gazed at Casey with an unhealthy longing. When everybody turned and stared at him, Rodney said, "You know, Dejah Thoris…the Martian Princess from John Carter, Warlord Of Mars? Dejah Thoris also didn't wear much clothing…just like…you know, just like the very scant clothing that, um, Casey is now wearing…."

After an awkward silence, Rodney blurted out, "What, am I the only one here who has read the Warlord of Mars books?!"

"Jenny, stupid question," Satterfield spoke up.

Yet before a grinning Hailey could hit Rodney, the ground and walls rumbled once again from what sounded like a massive explosion.

"If this is an uprising, sir, it's getting pretty violent up there," Sam said, with a nervous glance at ceiling above them. "Luckily this place is pretty stable."

"That it is, Major. Hey Io'tan, what say we get moving?"

Io'tan nodded. "Yes, that would be wise, Colonel O'Neill."

"What about Osiris?" Daniel asked.

"She could not have gotten far," Teal'c said. "Not with the battle raging above us."

"If she's still around, Daniel, we'll find her," O'Neill said.

Io'tan left a sizable force of her Jaffa behind to remain with the civilians and her Priestesses In Waiting, while she left with Char'el and a smaller group of her Jaffa--along with SG-1--for the entrance on the opposite end of the storage area. As Olivia and Casey walked with everybody, Olivia asked, "Have you seen Elliot?"

"Not recently," Casey replied. "My guess is wherever Mut is, that's where you'll find Elliot, now."

Olivia nodded grimly. "I know. He was in the coliseum with Mut, cheering for Sam and me to be eaten by the raptors."

"That wasn't _really_ Elliot, you know," Casey told her.

"Yeah, I know, Case. It's the damn snake in his head…." Olivia shook her head. "It was just sickening to see him there with her, like a loyal lapdog."

"The snake in Elliot's head appears to be trying to take control of the Netian Empire from Mut," Casey told her. "So he's not _that_ much a of loyal lapdog."

Olivia cringed at the very scary thought of Elliot being in charge of the empire. While she was extremely grateful to have found Casey alive and safe, Olivia realized that it had been just sheer dumb luck. She hoped and prayed that there was still a chance of finding Elliot before it was too late to save him.

When they reached the exit, Olivia saw that it was a doorway that led to a small courtyard with a flight of stone steps that led up. O'Neill, Teal'c and Char'el went through first--while the rest of them waited. Then O'Neill came back down the steps and said, "We found Osiris. Fraiser, we need you out here, now!"

Janet was already opening her medical bag as she ran up the steps with O'Neill. Olivia, Sam and Casey followed with the others. The first thing Olivia noticed was the blazing battles that took place in the skies above them. At first she'd thought the Jaffa fighters were just randomly shooting in the air--but then she saw that they were shooting at each other; that they were actually dog fighting, like World War Two combat aces.

Sam noticed this, too. She shook her head and said, "Either most of the Jaffa have turned against Mut, or there's something far bigger going on here than just an uprising."

When they ascended the steps, Olivia saw Janet kneeling over Osiris, who lay on the ground. Daniel ran over and knelt down beside her. About one hundred yards away from them lay the still-smoldering wreckage that crashed to the ground.

"That's part of a Ha'tak ship?" Olivia asked Sam.

"Yeah," Sam replied, as she glanced up at the skies again with a renewed rigor. "I think we're under attack, Liv…."

"Well, uh, yeah, sweetie, we can all see that."

"No, I mean, Mount Tanis has now come under attack from an outside force, Liv," Sam, said. "That explains the death glider dog fights, and the Ha'tak ships crashing to the ground."

"You read my mind, Major," O'Neill said. "No way an uprising could have caused all this damage--no matter how well organized they were."

"Jack!" a voice called in the distance. "Sam!"

Everyone turned to see the happy sight of Jacob and Bra'tac as they strolled over to them. Jacob gave Sam a warm hug, while Bra'tac shook hands with Teal'c.

"Once again, I fight beside you in combat, my friend," Bra'tac said.

"I would not have it any other way," Teal'c replied with a pleased expression.

"Are you all right, Dad?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm good, kiddo. Luckily, the inertia dampeners were just about the only thing still working aboard the ship." He glanced at O'Neill and added, "Mount Tanis has come under attack by Ba'al."

"Ball?" O'Neill said with a puzzled expression. "You're telling me the planet's under attack by a large ball?"

"Ba'al, Jack," Jacob patiently corrected. "He's one of the most powerful of the system lords. His fleet of Ha'tak ships have engaged the Netian fleet in all out combat. We got hit with debris from one of the Netian ships that exploded in the battle."

Olivia turned to Sam and said, "You were right."

"I wish I weren't," Sam said glumly. "This just makes everything more harder."

"I am fine, woman!" Osiris snarled at Janet, as she angrily sat up. "Leave me!"

"She's fine," Janet said flatly, with a look of disgust.

"You know what stopped her in her tracks?" O'Neill asked her.

"Looks like she suffered a concussion from one of the explosions," Janet answered, as she packed up her medical bag. "But, thanks to her Goa'uld, that's healing very nicely all by itself."

"As if dealing with the Netian uprising wasn't bad enough," O'Neill said, staring at Osiris. "We've got one of the system lords breathing down our necks, and now _this_ one to deal with!"

"I am not your enemy, O'Neill," Osiris said, as she held her hands up.

"Really?" O'Neill replied. "If you felt that way, then why'd you try to run off just now?"

"I was not running," Osiris growled at him. "I never run! I was just…checking to see…if this exit was still useable."

"Oh, well, gee, that's awfully nice of you," Olivia muttered sarcastically.

"Think what you will," Osiris sneered at her. "Know that, for now, I am on your side. I shall aid you in leaving this place…before Ba'al assumes control over it."

"Don't like Ba'al much, huh?" Sam asked with a smirk.

"He and I have a…disagreement," Osiris muttered uneasily. "But you can trust me. Give me back my weapons."

"Oh, I don't think so," Daniel said, shaking his head.

"You're coming with us, Osiris, but under guard," Sam said. "Right, sir? Uh, sir?"

O'Neill was distracted as he stared at something in the distance through his binoculars. "Yeah, right, Major," he replied, putting them down. "Hailey and Satterfield, you can stop torturing Dr. McKay--"

"Oh, thank you very much!" Rodney said with relief.

"--and keep a close eye on Osiris from here on out," O'Neill finished. "Watch her carefully. If she so much as twitches wrong, zat her."

"Yes sir," the lieutenants both said in unison.

O'Neill then raised the binoculars up to his eyes again. "Meanwhile, folks, there's been a big change of plans. I was originally going to hit the vault, first. But not now."

"What do you mean?" Io'tan asked.

O'Neill removed the binoculars from his eyes. "I've just noticed that the vault has a pyramid-shaped roof on top."

"Yes," Io'tan said. "That is so Ha'tak ships can land above and use the ring transporter to bring the contents of the vault directly into the ship."

"And _that's_ why we're going to steal the Ha'tak first," O'Neill told the group. "So we can land it right on the vault, and just ring up whatever we want from below. The shields from the stolen Ha'tak will even provide us with cover from the battle."

"Oh," Daniel said with an approving nod. "Neat!"

Sam beamed at O'Neill with pride. "Great idea, sir!"

"I may not have the same brilliant ideas that you do, Major," O'Neill humbly said. "But I do have my moments. Ok, kids, let's move!"

**SG-1: SVU**

"Now _that_ is proper crowd control!" Mut said, as she nodded with approval at the carnage that raged just outside the temple. "When I give an order of genocide, my Jaffa listen to me!"

But Ke'tesh was not so sure. To his practiced eye, there appeared to be Jaffa on Jaffa violence being committed out there--particularly among the death gliders, which fought each other viciously in the skies. Either there were dissenting Jaffa pilots among the rioters, or they were--

"We are at war, my Lord Empress!" the Jaffa in charge of planetary defense cried, as he burst into the room. "Our orbital fleet has come under an all-out attack."

Mut merely stood there with a frozen look of fear on her face.

Shaking his head with disgust at her, Ke'tesh turned to the man and took control. "By whom? Who dares to attack Mount Tanis?"

"We do not know their identity," he replied. "But they have a massive fleet of Ha'tak ships, which struck ours without warning. Many of our own ships were destroyed without even firing a shot."

Ke'tesh reeled in shock. Everything was happening so fast, with major events piling right on top of each other, that it was almost too much for him to handle all at once. Yet as tempted as he was to just assume command of the Netian forces, that would be in obvious defiance to Mut.

He turned towards her, and in a respectful tone, said, "My Lord Empress, we need to rally our forces so that we may--"

Ke'tesh stopped when he realized that Mut was no longer standing there. He glanced over just in time to see her running through the doorway like a scared rabbit.

The Jaffa in charge of planetary defense stared after her with an incredulous look on his face. The two Jaffa who guarded the door that Mut just ran through gave each other a nervous look, and then they bolted themselves.

'This is it,' Ke'tesh thought with satisfaction. 'By running, Mut so much has handed me the reigns to the Empire herself.'

He turned to the Jaffa in charge of planetary defense and flared his eyes in the standard Goa'uld fashion. "I shall assume control of the fight, now. Take me to the command center."

The Jaffa looked surprised--yet he nodded and gestured for Ke'tesh to follow him.

Ke'tesh was pleased to finally be taking command of the Netian Empire. He only hoped he was not too late to save it.

**SG-1: SVU**

Ba'al anxiously watched the battle unfold on the screens in the peltac of his flagship. So far, it looked to be a stunning rout of the Netian ships--the majority of whom were so caught off guard by the surprise attack that they never even had a chance to return fire before they were destroyed. The Netian ships that did return fire almost appeared reluctant, as if they were uncertain of what they were doing.

'Strange, for the fleet of the mighty Neith to be taken by surprise like this,' Ba'al thought. He had held back two thirds of his own fleet in reserve behind the gaseous giant, because he wanted to see first how Neith would react--and this way, if things got too scary, Ba'al could always make a hasty retreat.

Yet the battle was going remarkably well in their favor so far--in fact, it was going almost _too_ well. Ba'al had kept expecting Neith to pull one of her legendary tactical maneuvers at any moment now.

Qetesh, who had been nervously watching the battle from a sofa, abruptly stood up and pointed at the main screen. "They are moving!" she cried. "The rest of the Netian fleet is moving!"

Ba'al nodded as he also noticed it. From the far side of the planet, several Netian ships broke away from their planetary sphere formation and zipped into hyperspace. 'Here it comes, now,' Ba'al gravely thought, as he braced himself for the slaughter to come. 'Neith was just reeling them in, sacrificing a few of her ships in order to give our attacking forces false hope. And now comes the hammer blow….'

After several minutes passed, Ba'al realized that the ships that vanished into hyperspace had not yet reemerged to attack his forces. He stared at his peltac commander and said, "Where are they?"

"They should have attacked by now, my lord," he replied with a shrug. "Perhaps they have been sent for reinforcements?"

"But what about the rest of the Netian fleet?" Ba'al asked. He glanced back at the tactical screen. "They are just--"

Ba'al stopped when he saw several more Netian ships fly off into hyperspace--and then it hit him. "Neith is not here. Either that, or she is dead."

Ba'al turned to his peltac commander. "Order all ships to attack Mount Tanis in full force, now."

"Including the reserves, my lord?"

"Especially the reserves," Ba'al said with a smile. "All of them. I want the entire fleet engaged in battle now, all across Mount Tanis."

As the peltac commander gave the order, Qetesh came over to him. "Is that wise, my love? We will now be fully committed to this…."

"Observe the Netian ships," Ba'al said, indicating the screen with his hand. "The ones that are not engaged in battle appear to just wander listlessly, while several of them have jumped into hyperspace, never to return."

He glanced at Qetesh with a broad smile. "They are leaderless, my Queen. Which can only mean that Neith either fled, or was killed in the uprising."

"Ba'al, do you realize what this means?" Qetesh asked, stunned.

He nodded. "Mount Tanis is now ours for the taking."

**SG-1-SVU**

Security in the ship yard was nonexistent--granted, the death glider dogfights in the skies above, along with the flaming pieces of wreckage from crashed Ha'tak ships, would have been enough to scare off any sensible guards. But O'Neill had expected at least a few Jaffa diehards would remain behind to guard the grounded fleet…not that he was complaining at the lack of resistance to their movements.

Choosing which Ha'tak to steal was easy; they simply chose the ship that was the closest to them. O'Neill led his motley crew--which consisted of SG-1, along with Casey, Io'tan, their group of loyal Jaffa and Osiris--through a side hatch that was located along the base of the first parked Ha'tak vessel they arrived at.

Once in the corridor, O'Neill was pleased to see the lights were on, which meant that the ship was at least powered up. He and Teal'c kept an eye for any Jaffa in the corridor while their large group finished coming inside through the hatch.

When everybody was present and accounted for, O'Neill addressed the group. "We need to get up to the peltac and get this baby started."

"Actually, Jack, we also need to get to engineering," Jacob told him.

"The lights are on," O'Neill pointed out to him. "So the power's already working."

"The lights and interior power are run from generators that are separate from the engines," Jacob informed him.

"And we can only turn on the engines manually from the engineering compartment, sir," Carter added.

"All right," O'Neill said with a nod. "We'll split up into two groups. Carter, you go with Jacob to the engineering section, and gets the engines started. Take Teal'c, Dr. McKay, Fraiser and Satterfield with you. Olivia, Daniel, Hailey, and Bra'tac, you come with me to the peltac."

"I shall check the armory," Osiris spoke up. "And see if they--"

"Yeah, nice try," O'Neill said, cutting her off. "You're coming with us, under guard, to the peltac."

"Shall I join you in the peltac, as well?" Io'tan asked. "You may need my assistance, in case a security code needs to be entered."

"Yeah, I was about to suggest that, Io'tan, thank you," O'Neill said. "Could we spilt your Jaffa between the two groups?"

"Yes." Io'tan nodded at Char'el, who divided the group of eight Jaffa--including himself--in-between the two groups. Char'el chose to go with the group headed for engineering.

"What about me?" Casey asked.

"You can come with me," Rodney said, with a hopeful smile.

"You're coming with us, Casey," O'Neill told her, "so both Olivia and I can keep an eye on you, young lady. We can't have you running off and getting into a bunch of trouble again!"

Casey broke into a broad smile at his joke as she saluted him humorously. "Yes, sir!"

"Be safe, Casey Novak," Char'el called to her.

"You too, Char'el," she replied, as she gave him a hug, along with an affectionate peck on the cheek.

When O'Neill saw Olivia stare at this scene with surprise, he whispered, "Looks like our little Casey has gone native, huh?"

"I'm just very happy to have her back, safe and sound," Olivia replied. "Now I just wish we can find Elliot."

"We'll keep an eye out for him, Liv," O'Neill promised. He turned to the engineering group and added, "Stay in touch via the radio, Carter. And, to everybody: watch your back! Just because this ship looks empty doesn't mean it really is--understand?"

Carter nodded. "Understood, sir. Engineering team, with me!"

"And peltac team, with me," O'Neill called, as both groups split up.

As they made their way towards a ring transporter, O'Neill heard Olivia say to Casey: "Maybe we can find you some decent clothes for you to wear. You must be freezing in that skimpy outfit, sweetie."

"No, actually, I'm quite comfortable," Casey insisted. "If anything, you guys look like you're overdressed! Aren't you hot?"

That exchange put a smile on O'Neill's face, especially when he recalled when he first met Casey. She had been so timid and frightened of being in an alien environment back then. Now, not only had she survived her latest brush with intergalactic adventure, but Casey appeared to have been changed for the better, as well. She seemed more calm and confident. McKay actually had a point when he referred to her as being like Deja Thoris--because, in a sense, that _was_ what she had grown into: Casey Novak: Space Princess.

They ringed up to the peltac without incident. As O'Neill, Bra'tac and the others made an armed sweep of the command deck, O'Neill was beginning to think that they may just pull this off without any trouble. The Jaffa who were with Io'tan took charge of guarding an annoyed-looking Osiris while Hailey and Bra'tac looked over the main console with Io'tan. Olivia and Daniel stood with O'Neill.

"It is as I thought," Io'tan said, as she punched in a code on a numerical keypad, "a security code is required."

"One which you know, right?" O'Neill hopefully asked.

The answer came when every console on the peltac powered up at full operational status.

"Way to go, Io'tan," O'Neill said, smiling.

Io'tan gave him a confused look. "Way to go…where?"

"That means you did very well, and Jack is happy," Daniel translated for her.

She smiled at O'Neill. "Thank you. This is just a refurbished Ha'tak, but it should serve our needs."

"I am afraid you are mistaken," Bra'tac said, as he regarded a screen on the console. "This is not a refurbished ship, but a brand new one."

Io'tan looked surprised. "New?"

Bra'tac nodded as he consulted the screen once more. "It says here that the ship was completed just a few days ago. It is fully rated, and completely loaded with all weapons, smaller ships and supplies."

"I always love it when we trade up," O'Neill said. He keyed his radio. "Carter, come in. Over."

"Carter, here, sir," she replied. "Over."

"We're in the peltac and Io'tan got the place running. How are you doing with the engines? Over."

"We're in the engineering section now, sir, and we're just about ready to get them--"

"Look out!" someone shouted, cutting Carter off.

O'Neill's eyes went wide when he heard what sounded like a staff weapon firing. "Carter? Come in, Carter! Sam?!"

But there was only static on the radio.

Before he could even react to that, Olivia frantically gestured at something out the main window. "Jack! You should see this!"

O'Neill came over and saw an alkesh making a bombing run on the parked Ha'tak ships in the ship yard. Several of the parked Ha'tak ships that surrounded them exploded from the bombs that had been expertly dropped on them. O'Neill looked up and saw the alkesh swoop around for another bombing run--this time, it would be coming directly over them.

Daniel nervously pointed at the oncoming alkesh. "Uh, Jack, he's coming--"

"Yeah, Daniel, I see that. Bra'tac," O'Neill called. "Raise the shields, now!"

"I cannot," he helplessly said from the console. "The shields are tied in to the engines, and the engines have not been turned on!"

"Can you divert the power?" Hailey asked. When Bra'tac gave her a puzzled look, she added, "I mean you can probably divert the power from the generators running the lights and--"

"Don't explain, Hailey, just do it!" O'Neill shouted.

"Right," Hailey muttered, as she ran over to the console and began working.

"Oh, for crying out loud," O'Neill said, as he, Olivia, Casey and Daniel all anxiously watched the alkesh close in on them for the kill. "Why do we always have to cut these things so damn close?!"

**SG-1: SVU**

"We're in the engineering section now, sir, and we're just about ready to get them--"

"Look out!" a man shouted from behind Sam.

Before she realized it, Sam had been pushed to the floor--as a bolt of energy from a staff weapon exploded just where she had been standing.

Char'el pointed at the far corner as both he and Teal'c raised their staff weapons and returned fire. The other Jaffa loyal to Char'el returned fire in that same direction, as well.

Jacob, Satterfield and Janet both came over and hunched down by Sam while a wild gunfight erupted all around them. Satterfield briefly fired her P90 at something in the shadows just beyond them, covering Janet and Jacob as they checked on Sam.

"Are you all right?" Janet asked Sam in a panic. "Are you two hit anywhere?"

"_I'm_ fine." Sam grunted under the weight that was pressed against her. "But who's…" Then she let out a groan when she realized who had knocked her to the floor. "Oh, no…."

Sam glanced over her shoulder and saw a bug-eyed Rodney McKay fearfully staring back down at her. "Y-You ok, Sam?" he asked in a squeaky-high voice. "Y-You're not hurt?"

"Uh, yeah, Rodney, I'm fine," Sam replied. "Thank you very much for saving me."

"D-Don't mention it," Rodney said, as he shivered in fear from the hellacious gun battle that Teal'c, Char'el and the other Jaffa fought all around them.

"Um, Rodney, you mind getting off of me?"

"S-Sure," he said with a nod, "just as s-soon as the gunfire stops…."

"No, Rodney, now," Jacob said, as he pulled him off of his daughter.

But before she could even get up, he nervously reached out and wrapped his arms around Sam's waist. "Rodney, let go of me, I have to--"

And just as abruptly as it started, the gun battle had ceased.

"Looks like the party's over," Jacob said warily.

When Teal'c and Char'el came over to them, both Jaffa had satisfied looks on their faces. "The area is secure," Teal'c informed Sam. "Char'el has ordered his Jaffa to fan out through the compartment, to make certain there are no more…surprises."

Sam got up into a sitting postion with Rodney still fearfully clinging to her. "Rodney, you can let go, now!"

"Is this the Tauri custom to 'feel up' a person?" Char'el asked.

When Sam, Rodney, Jacob, Janet, Satterfield--and even Teal'c--all stared strangely at him, Char'el innocently added, "It was something that Casey Novak said."

"Wait, wait, wait," Rodney said, as he finally released Sam. "Casey Novak wanted you to feel her up? _You_?!"

"She asked if that was what we would do to her," Char'el said, dead serious. "Why? Is it not good for someone to feel you up?"

Shaking her head, and not wanting to be a part of this awkward conversation any longer, Sam got to her feet and went over to the main engineering console. She was stunned to see that the schematic on the console showed a massive re-route of the power from the secondary generators.

When Jacob joined her, he also scowled at the re-oriented power lines. "What caused this?"

Then the answer came when the ship suddenly rumbled all around her, as if having been struck by something. Sam saw on the console that the ship's shields held firm. Whatever struck them did no damage.

Sam smiled broadly when she realized who did this: Hailey.

Janet came over, looking alarmed. "What the hell was that?"

"Somebody took a shot at us," Sam replied. "But it's all right; the shields were up at full power. We weren't damaged."

"But the engines haven't been turned on, yet!" Rodney said.

"Hailey re-routed the power," Sam replied, as she changed everything back to the way it was. "Dad, Rodney, I'm switching on the engines, now. Double-check everything for me."

Jacob nodded after glancing at the main console. "Looks good, Sam. All in the green."

Rodney quickly scanned the secondary consoles. "Yeah, you're good to go all across the boards here, Sam."

Sam punched the main switches, and the engines roared to life all around them. It almost sounded like they were in the belly of an extremely hungry beast.

Sam keyed her radio. "Carter to O'Neill. Over."

"Sam," Jack said, his tone sounding anxious. "You all right down there? Over."

'He didn't call me Carter,' she realized, touched. 'He must have been really concerned to drop formaility like this.'

"We're fine, sir," she replied, with a glance back at Teal'c, who gave her the thumbs up sign. "Somebody didn't like having us down here, but Teal'c, Char'el and the other Jaffa took care of them. We're all fine. You've got full power on all engines. We're ready to go when you are. Over."

"Great," he said, sounding relieved. "You and your team report to the peltac. Over."

"Rodger that, sir. Over and out." Sam turned to the group. "Let's get up to the peltac."

She turned to leave when Rodney abruptly stepped in her way. "Hey," he said smugly. "I saved your life, huh?"

"Yes, you did," she said sincerely. "And thanks again...."

"You're most very welcome," Rodney said grandly. "Wait till I tell everybody back at the SGC about this!"

As Rodney walked ahead of them, Jacob stared in disapproval at him. "Real humble guy, ain't he?"

Sam just shook her head in frustration as she and her father resumed walking with the others. "Oh God," she moaned. "If he was bad before, he's gonna be really insufferable now!"

**SG-1-SVU**

"He's coming back around again!" Olivia called, as she stared out the window at the alkesh ship. It dove back down for another attack run.

"All right," O'Neill muttered, "everybody brace yourselves again. The shields should hold--"

"O'Neill," Bra'tac called from the main console. "Allow me…."

Olivia and Casey both let out a large laugh as they watched the attacking alkesh get blasted out of the sky by a laser shot from the Ha'tak.

"As always, Bra'tac, you speak so eloquently," O'Neill said, smiling. "Can you get this tub moving?"

"We have full power," Bra'tac told him, as he worked the controls. "I shall get this--as you call it--'tub' moving."

As the Ha'tak rumbled to life, Carter arrived in the peltac with her group. When she saw Hailey, Carter said, "Great work on re-routing the power for the shields, Lieutenant."

Hailey grinned at her. "Thank you, Major."

Satterfield walked up to Hailey, waved her fists, and said, "Yousa bomb-bad!"

Hailey just burst into laughter at this.

"What did she just say?" Io'tan asked, puzzled.

"Um, it's from a movie that's been shown on earth," Daniel said. "A movie is a filmed entertainment that we have."

"And that line was from a pretty bad filmed entertainment," O'Neill muttered. When the ship began to take off, he said, "Everybody hold on, here we go!"

"Next stop, the vault," Jacob said.

**SG-1: SVU**

When Mut entered the vault, she glanced around frentically for the one magical weapon that would save her empire.

The problem was, she had no idea what most of the assembled machinery were, or what they did. It was not as if they came with instruction booklets. She feared that if she simply turned one on, it might just explode, taking her with it--and that was just not acceptable.

She wandered around aimlessly, and wondered if it would be best if she could order one of the Jaffa to simply turn on the machines while she waited outside.

Then she was startled by a low rumbling sound that reverberated throughout the vault. Mut glanced up in shock at the ceiling when she realized that someone had landed a Ha'tak directly above. There was now no time left. The enemy could have troops in here within minutes.

She ran up to the stasis tube and stared at the figure within. 'Yes,' she thought, 'he might be just what I need to save my empire.'

Mut pressed the buttons on the control console and the stasis tube opened with a hiss. The figure remained inside, immobile.

"I am your Lord Empress Mut," she said, as regally as she could. "I require your assistance in the service of the Net--"

She was cut off when the dark clad figure stepped out of the stasis tube and, in one sweeping gesture, grabbed Mut by the throat and raised her struggling body up off the floor. The figure expertly and violently flicked its arms, snapping Mut's neck and killing her instantly. It released Mut's body, which dropped to the floor with a sickening thudding sound, as if it were so much garbage.

And then Lord Inpu--also known as the Dark One, and also known as Anubis--pulled back the cloak from its jackal-like face and let out a triumphant howl that echoed throughout the vault.

**To Be Continued....**


	12. Chapter 12

_My thanks to Barbrarossa Robart for the encouraging review. _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Twelve**

Ke'tesh watched with despair as an empire crumbled all around him.

No sooner did Ke'tesh arrive in the planetary defense control room than he heard the worst possible news he could have received on this dark day: the invaders have stepped up their attack all over the planet. The Netian forces, who were already caught off guard by the initial attack, were now hard-pressed to even hold their ground, much less push them back.

The view screens within the bunker that was the PDCR showed shocking images of the city of Mount Tanis coming under direct assault by death gliders and alkesh-class ships, which bombed the buildings into smoldering ruins. When Ke'tesh tried to get an assessment of the Netian forces, he was displeased to discover that there was none.

He glanced about the PDCR and saw that it was seriously understaffed--much of the planetary defense staff had already run for their lives. And judging by the nervous and uncertain manner the remaining staff displayed, it would not be long before they, too, deserted their posts.

'I have finally assumed command of the Netian Empire,' Ke'tesh dismally thought. 'Only to serve as its momentary caretaker while it expires.'

He did a double take when one of the screens displayed a Ha'tak-class ship landing on the roof of the vault. He pointed at the unnerving sight and said, "We already have landings of enemy troops at the vault!"

"No, my Lord," the lead Jaffa reported. "That is one of our own ships."

Ke'tesh relaxed when he saw the crossed arrows over the shield on the ship, the symbol of the Netian Empire. Perhaps the commander of that Ha'tak decided to take matters into his own hands by raiding the vault for weapons. Ke'tesh realized that was what _he_ should be doing, taking the fight to the invaders, rather than hiding here in a bunker.

"That Ha'tak commander is a loyal citizen and a worthy leader who has the right idea," Ke'tesh said, as he gazed at the landed Ha'tak with admiration. "Assemble a squad of your best Jaffa warriors. They shall accompany me over to the vault, and we shall all fight side by side with this hero of the Netian Empire."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Oh, whoa," Rodney said, once the ring transporter materialized them inside the vault. At first he had been amazed at the very machine which deposited them down here. But once he saw the vault, with its menagerie of exotic alien technology, Rodney looked like a little kid in a candy store.

When Olivia glanced around, she couldn't help but share his enthusiasm. Now that they were able to finally look around the vault--without worrying about being shot at--she could finally take in the wonder of the place. The ceiling was so high it disappeared into the shadows, yet there were shafts of light that shone down on the various pieces of equipment that were stored here. Each device was of varying size, from smaller than a bread box to as large as a car, and they all had what looked like a truly alien design.

'Which makes sense,' Olivia thought, 'since the Goa'ulds are pack rats, stealing technology wherever they can find it, then it's a good bet that aliens probably designed these things.'

Just before they ringed down, O'Neill had arranged for the rest of the people that they left back at the storage area to be brought to the Ha'tak, using a small fleet of three alkesh ships that they found in the hanger deck. This evacuation was being carried out now, while Olivia went "shopping" in the vault with Rodney, O'Neill and the others.

"Everybody fan out," O'Neill ordered. "Daniel, Carter, Dr. McKay, Lieutenants Hailey and Lt. Satterfield, take a good look around at the assembled toys. Give a shout if you see anything good. Doc Frasier, your patient is an Asgard located in one of those tubes."

"What about the rest of us?" Olivia asked, as she stood with Teal'c, Char'el and the rest of the Jaffa loyal to Io'tan.

Casey was also with them--much to Olivia's chagrin. She had wanted Casey to wait up in the Ha'tak, with Io'tan, Bra'tac, Jacob and the others, but Casey would have none of it; she wanted to go with Char'el. Olivia suspected that Casey's relationship with the Jaffa was more than that of close friends, because she didn't want to be separated from him.

"Liv, you, Teal'c and the rest of the Jaffa are on patrol with me," O'Neill told her. "While the others go shopping, I want the rest of us to keep our eyes and ears open. Casey, you can come--"

"Sir!" Sam anxiously called, as she abruptly stared down at the floor. "You need to see this!"

"That was quick," O'Neill commented, as he, Olivia and everybody else ran over to her. "What did you find, Carter?"

"Not what, sir--who," Carter said, as she gestured at the body of Mut.

There was a moment of stunned silence as everybody stared at the deceased Lord Empress, who lay with her arms over her head, looking like a discarded doll on the floor. Janet knelt over the body and felt her wrists for a pulse--then she checked Mut's neck. She glanced up at O'Neill with a shocked look as she continued to feel around Mut's neck.

"Is she--?" O'Neill started to ask.

"Oh, she's dead, sir," Janet replied with a firm nod. "No doubt about that."

"What happened to her?" Sam asked, still stunned.

"It feels like her neck was broken," Janet said. "Can't tell if it was broken from her fall, or if it was broken _before_ she fell…."

"Can't say I feel sorry," Sam muttered.

"I know how you feel," Olivia said with a nod. The only problem for her was, now that Mut was dead, where the hell was Elliot? Was he still alive? Was he the one who killed Mut?

"All right, Mut is dead," O'Neill said firmly. "We've still got a job to do, kids. Let's try and inventory whatever we can here. Frasier, leave the stiff to rot and deal with the Asgard in the stasis tube. He's in the tube on your left."  
"Oh, my God," Rodney said, as he stared at a crate. It was as long as a coffee table. "I-I think this is a bomb! Look at the writing on the side, here."

"It's in Goa'uld," Daniel confirmed. "'Behold this mighty hammer of God, who will smite thy enemies….'"

Rodney and Sam carefully opened the crate, and Olivia saw a weird looking device inside that had what looked like two containers on either end of it.

"He's right, sir," Sam said with a nod. "It's a matter/antimatter bomb. The two ingredients are kept separate by a force field. But once they combine, you get a very nasty explosion."

"Really?" O'Neill said, looking impressed. "A big honking bomb? Cool! Just what we need. Load it on the ring transporter platform."

"How?" Rodney asked. "It doesn't have wheels."

"Jaffa," Char'el ordered, as he gestured for them to pick up the bomb.

"Found the Asgard," Janet called, as she gazed at him through the glass of the tube. "He wasn't too hard to find, sir, since this is the only one of the stasis tubes that's occupied."

"Ok, that's--wait a minute! _What_?!" O'Neill said, as he exchanged a wary look with Sam. "There should be a guy dressed in a black cloak in the other stasis tube, Fraiser."

Janet's eyes were comically wide--it looked as if Janet thought she had done something wrong--as she quickly rechecked the second tube. "Nobody in here, sir."

O'Neill ran over to her and stared into the second tube. "Great," he said, sounding royally annoyed. "Just great! Where the hell did _he_ go, now?"

"Uh-oh," Sam said, as she brought her P90 up. Hailey and Satterfield, taking their cue from her, did the same. "I think we now know what happened to Mut…but what happened to Anubis?"

Olivia stopped short when she saw a shape move within the shadows just beyond the periphery of the vault storage area. "Oh, good Christ," she muttered, as she slowly raised her Glock. "Uh, I think I found him, guys….."

"Indeed you have, Olivia Benson," Teal'c said, as he glared in the same direction that she did. Without warning, he raised his staff weapon and opened fire on the shadowy shape in the darkness.

Olivia was caught off guard by this; Teal'c must have far better vision than she did, because Olivia could barely see the bastard in the darkness, let alone know where to shoot.

"You get him?" O'Neill asked, as he moved in with his P90 aimed at the area where Teal'c had fired.

"I do not know, O'Neill," Teal'c said somberly.

"W-What's going on?" a wide-eyed Rodney asked.

"Dr. McKay, continue taking the bomb up to the Ha'tak, now," O'Neill told him, as he scanned the darkness with his P90 at the ready. "And stay up there."

"Don't have to tell _me_ twice," McKay muttered, as he and the Jaffa who carried the matter/antimatter bomb moved briskly towards the ring transporter platform.

When she heard McKay let out a startled yell, Olivia spun around and saw the Dark One. He/she/it stood right on the ring transporter platform, blocking access to McKay and the Jaffa--who quickly put the bomb down to pull out their staff weapons.

But it was too late.

Anubis held out his hands, and when he did, electric blue lightning shot out at the Jaffa, scattering them around like bowling pins. A panicked McKay had just barely took cover behind the bomb's casing in time to avoid being hit.

"DROP HIM!" O'Neill shouted.

Every P90, handgun, staff weapon and zat held within the group opened fire at that point right on Anubis, who cringed momentarily from the withering gunfire. Then he pulled back his hood and let out a defiant roar.

And in that moment, once Olivia saw his face, her eyes went wide with sheer terror.

For Lord Anubis--the Dark One--truly had the face of a jackal. And it wasn't merely an elaborate mask--but the actual face of the animal that literally snarled with hatred at them as it flung out its hands at them once more. Everyone took cover behind whatever piece of equipment that was nearby as the electric blue light flashed out right over them. Olivia found herself kneeling down with Casey clinging tightly to her as they both watched the lighting reach out above them like an angry claw.

Olivia, turned to Casey and said, "Happy you came with us _now_, Space Princess?"

Casey, who huddled tightly next to Olivia, just shot her an annoyed look. "You see Char'el anywhere around here?" she asked, as she anxiously glanced around them. "Is he all right?"

"I'm sure he's fine, Case," Olivia told her, as she gave Casey a meaningful look. "You and him have become the best of buds, huh?"

Casey appeared embarrassed. "Um, yeah, we've become close…."

"I've noticed," Olivia said. When she saw the blue lightning had ceased, Olivia warily gazed over the top of the crate that she and Casey sought cover behind. As she peered over the top of the crate, Olivia also brought her Glock up as well, with her finger on the trigger.

She couldn't see Anubis; nor could she see any other members of SG-1, either. Olivia was about to call out when something grabbed her shoulder, which caused her to nearly jumped out of her skin in fear--until Olivia was relieved to see that it was just Sam, who was crouched down next to her behind the crate.

"Easy, easy," Sam whispered into her ear. "Just checking on you guys. You two ok?"

Casey--who looked like she had also been frightened by Sam's abrupt and unexpected appearance--nodded quickly.

"Where did Anubis go?" Olivia whispered.

Sam just shook her head. "Don't know. He just stopped shooting and vanished. I'm still wondering why Neith would place him in stasis fully armed with ribbon devices."

"Everybody all right?" O'Neill called over the radio. "Sound off, kids! Over."

Everyone, including Casey--who was relieved to hear Char'el's voice--sounded off for O'Neill. The entire SG-1 team had taken cover from Anubis behind the various boxes and pieces of equipment in the vault, so while Olivia couldn't see them, she could still hear them. It soon became apparent that one of Char'el's Jaffa had not been heard from.

"I-I got a dead guy here!" Rodney cried aloud, sans radio. "At least, I _think_ he's dead!"

Janet urgently crept past Olivia, Sam and Casey in a crouch. Then, looking lost, Janet paused and called, "Where are you, Rodney?"

"I-I'm right next to the big thing," he called back.

Janet shared a bewildered look with Sam as Olivia said, "Uh, could you be a little more specific than _that_, McKay?"

"What do you want from me?" he whined. "I'm surrounded by a bunch of boxes that all look alike, while Bobo the Dog-Faced Boy is doing his impersonation of Emperor Palpatine over here!"

"Is he speaking English?" Casey muttered with a frown.

"I got a fix on his location," Janet said with a nod.

"I'm coming with you," Sam told her.

"Count me in, too," Olivia said. She glanced at Casey and added, "You joining us?"

Casey shrugged, as she brought her zat up to bear. "Why not? I wouldn't be much of a space princess if I didn't."

Olivia grinned broadly as she crept along in a crouch with Janet and Sam, with Casey bringing up the rear. They found Rodney, who was huddled over a prone Jaffa, over in the next junction.

"Oh, thank God," he muttered, as Janet knelt down next to the Jaffa and examined him. "He got hit when that dog-eared monstrosity started waving--!"

He stopped when Sam made a gesture for him to quiet down. "That monstrosity is still wandering around here," she whispered. "So keep it down."

He glared at her. "Wait a minute, I was just shouting at you before…why didn't you tell me to be quiet, then?"

"Because we had to find out where you were," Olivia muttered, as she knelt with her Glock at the ready, on guard for Anubis.

"Oh nice, real nice…." McKay said indignantly.

"Fraiser," O'Neill softly called over the radio, "you find the downed man yet? Over."

After briefly checking the man's vitals, Janet keyed her radio. "Yes sir. He's alive. But just barely. I need to get him back up tot the Ha'tak, pronto. Over."

"That might be a problem," Olivia said, as a dark figure rose up just a few feet away from them. "Bobo's back."

Anubis let out another tremendous roar as he raised his hands and fired that lethal blue electric lightning once more. And Olivia was stunned to see that, instead of ribbon devices, the blue energy bolts came directly out of the tips of his fingers.

She barely had time to register the shock, because Anubis had abruptly turned their way and noticed them.

"Oh, God, he sees us!" Rodney cried from behind her.

"Let's make it the very last thing he sees," Sam said grimly, as she aimed her P90 right at Anubis and opened fire.

Olivia joined in with her Glock, quickly emptying the clip right into Anubis.

For his part, Anubis merely stood there, now seemingly impervious to their bullets, as he slowly raised his hands in their direction. Just then Sam's P90 let out a sharp clicking sound, which indicated that she was out of bullets.

Casey shot Anubis several times with her zat, with no effect.

"My turn," Anubis said, as he opened his hands at the women.

"Oh, Christ," Olivia muttered with dread, "this is gonna hurt…."

**SG-1: SVU**

"Jaffa, with me!" Teal'c shouted, once he saw Anubis turn on Major Carter, Olivia Benson and the others. "Target Anubis!"

Char'el and several of his Jaffa stood up with Teal'c as they all aimed their staff weapons. Just as Anubis opened his hands to fire point-blank on the women, Teal'c ordered all of them to fire at once.

Six staff weapons all blazed away in one volley, and when they struck Anubis, the unnatural creature let out a roar of fury as it was helplessly knocked down to the ground.

"Way to go! Keep him pinned down," O'Neill said, as he stood up. "Carter, get everybody over here, now!"

When Anubis arose again, Teal'c and the other Jaffa fired at him in a massive volley, once more using their staff weapons as artillery. Anubis roared angrily at them as the force of their weapons forced him to fall backwards once more.

Although he stood defiantly shooting down Anubis wherever he arose, Teal'c could not help but feel a chill crawl up his spine. He recalled the words of Io'tan, who said that Anubis had been a daunting enemy to Neith, because he could not be killed. And now Teal'c saw for himself the unsual power of Anubis, and wondered how they could defeat an enemy who was unkillable.

"What manner of beast is this?" Char'el asked him, as they all scanned the vault for Anubis. "The power of our combined staff weapons should have blasted him out of this world--instead, they merely knock him off his feet!"

"I do not know," Teal'c replied, as he watched Major Carter and the others quickly scramble to safety behind their lines. He glanced at O'Neill. "But, whatever he is, Anubis must not be set free on the galaxy."

"Easier said than done," Major Carter muttered. "This guy's not your regular Goa'uld. In fact, I doubt he's a Goa'uld at all."

"What is he, then?" Lt. Satterfield asked. "Some kind of an experiment gone wrong?"

"No," Char'el replied. "It is said that he was a Goa'uld, once. One who committed horrible atrocities."

"Yes, I have heard the stories as well," Teal'c said. "These terrible acts he committed caused him to be hunted down by the other Goa'uld."

"Whatever the hell he is," O'Neill said, as he pointed at a dark figure, "here he comes again!"

Teal'c and the other Jaffa--as well as the rest of SG-1--all raised their weapons and fired at Anubis. But Anubis had deftly side-stepped this new volley, and while he did this, he managed to shoot a volley of his own: blue electric energy streaked out from his hand and struck several more of Char'el's Jaffa.

"Hit the deck!" O'Neill ordered. "Now!"

Teal'c reluctantly dived to the floor just before the blast of energy swept over his postion. Then he got back up and aimed his staff weapon at Anubis, lest the Dark One tried to attack their position.

But something strange had happened.

Anubis simply stood there, staring at something on his left.

When Teal'c glanced over in that direction, he saw a legion of Jaffa who stood there, staring back at Anubis with great distress. At the head of this small army was a man who looked very familiar to Teal'c.

It was Detective Elliot Stabler.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Elliot!" Olivia cried, just before she saw Anubis throw another blast of that weird blue energy right at him.

Olivia got to her feet and started to run towards where she saw Elliot fall, until a pair of powerful arms grabbed her from behind.

It was Teal'c.

"Let me go!" Olivia cried. "That's Elliot over there, I have to get to him!"

"Olivia Benson, observe," he told her. "It is too dangerous!"

She saw that Anubis was now engaged in an all-out battle with the Jaffa whom Elliot had brought with him. Elliot, who had been struck point blank by Anubis' energy bolts, lay sprawled out on the floor just a few feet away.

"C'mon, let's hit the ring transporter platform," O'Neill ordered the group. "While dog boy's busy with those other guys! Move it!"

Olivia was helplessly carried away by Teal'c, until Casey abruptly stood in front him, blocking his way. She stared pleadingly at him. "Teal'c, let her go. We need to get Elliot."

"But O'Neill has ordered us to--"

"To hell with that!" Olivia cried, as she struggled in vain to get herself free from Teal'c's grip. "Elliot's hurt. Just let us try to rescue him!"

Daniel appeared. He leaned over to Teal'c and said, "Let her go, Teal'c."

"But O'Neill has ordered--"

"I know what Jack ordered," Daniel calmly told him. "And, Liv's right: to hell with it. Let her go, Teal'c, now."

When Teal'c released her, Daniel firmly took Olivia's hand in her own and said, "Now c'mon, let's go get Elliot."

Olivia was so moved that she could have kissed him right then and there. They both ran hand in hand over to where Elliot lay. Casey followed--as did Teal'c, who kept an eye on the battle between Anubis and the other Jaffa, as he covered them with his staff weapon.

When she and Daniel examined Elliot, Olivia saw there were scorched spots on Elliot's skin, where the blue energy from Anubis had struck him, but Olivia was grateful to see that his pulse was still strong. She and Daniel began to pick up the still-unconscious Elliot when Casey saw Char'el run up to them.

"No, get to safety with the others," Casey told the Jaffa. "We'll join you--"

But Char'el ignored her as he stood with Teal'c and also covered them, with his staff weapon at the ready. "Where you go, Casey Novak," he told her, "I go as well."

"Ooo, looks like the space princess has got a boyfriend," Daniel said in a sing-song taunt, as he and Olivia each carried Elliot along with his arms over their shoulders. Char'el and Teal'c brought up the rear.

Casey shot him an outraged look over her bare shoulder as she ran ahead of the group, who were all headed back to the ring transport platform.

**SG-1: SVU**

"Wait," O'Neill said, as he gazed at the assembled group on the ring platform, "we're missing people!"

Carter pointed past his shouder. "Over there, sir."

O'Neill let out a disgusted sigh when he saw Olivia, Daniel, Casey and Teal'c running over towards the battle between Anubis and the other Jaffa. Char'el then ran over and joined the group.

"Damn it," he angrily said. "Whatever happened to following orders? Does the fact that I'm a colonel mean nothing to these people?"

"Well, technically, they _are _all civilians, sir," Carter said with a shrug.

O'Neill gave her an annoyed double take. But before he could respond, McKay began pointing fearfully at something. "Uh, um, the-the-the-the-the-the…."

"What?!" O'Neill snapped at him. "Spit it out!"

"THE BOMB!" McKay screamed.

O'Neill stared at the matter/antimatter bomb, which didn't look like there was anything was wrong with it--until he saw the sparking that came out of the side.

When they went over to it, O'Neill saw that the protective casing had been badly damaged, probably from one of the many bolts of energy that Anubis had been flinging around the place. "I don't believe this," O'Neill grumbled. "Of all the things in here that had to get hit, it's got to be the doomsday bomb."

"We'd better get it off the platform, sir," Carter told him, after she and Hailey opened the casing and examined the bomb itself. "It's too unstable to ring up to the Ha'tak. The force field between the matter and antimatter is fluctuating badly."

"And that's bad?"

"Very bad, sir," Hailey said. "Big badda-boom."

"Oh, that's bad," O'Neill muttered, as he, along with Hailey, Satterfield and several of the Jaffa, all shoved the bomb off the platform. He saw Olivia and Daniel were carrying Elliot in-between them, while Teal'c and Char'el brought up the rear. "Everybody get back on the platform, and tell Bra'tac to get ready for a very fast take off!"

"What about you, sir?" Fraiser called.

"I'll catch the next ride up with the others," he told them. He hit the button on the wall, and Janet, along with the others, were surrounded by several rings that dropped down form the ceiling. Soon they were all beamed upwards to the Ha'tak.

O'Neill did another double take when he saw Carter was standing next to him. "I said _everybody_ get on the platform, Major! What are you doing here?"

"Watching your back, sir," she said. "Looks like you're going to need the help, too. Anubis is just about done chewing up that group of Jaffa."

"C'mon, c'mon," O'Neill called, as Casey ran past him--followed by Daniel and Olivia, who carried Elliot. "Get on the platform! Everybody on the platform, and that also means you, Major."

"I'll get on when you do, sir."

"Sam," he said in a warning tone.

"Jack," she responded with equal seriousness. "If Olivia couldn't leave without Elliot, then I'm sure as hell not leaving without you."

Teal'c and Char'el stopped and spun around to shoot at Anubis, who had turned his attention towards them.

"As long as you're sticking around, you got any explosives, Major?"

Carter pulled out two hand grenades and gave him one. "Grenades are a girl's best friend, sir."

"I thought it was diamonds," O'Neill said, as he pulled the pin. He held the safety down with his finger. "Teal'c, Char'el, break off and hit the ring platform, now!"

"Here, in this place, right now--it's grenades, sir," Carter replied. She pulled the pin on her grenade and also held down the safety as Teal'c and Char'el ran past them, headed towards the ring platform, where they joined Casey, Olivia, Daniel and the unconscious Elliot.

Anubis reared back his head and let out another ear-splitting roar as he charged right at O'Neill and Carter.

"This guy's a regular Terminator, huh?" Carter commented, her eyes wide.

"More like the Energizer Bunny…and just as annoying," O'Neill said, shaking his head. "Hey, Fido! Go fetch!"

Both he and Carter then threw their grenades right at Anubis. The grenades landed right at the monster's feet.

O'Neill and Carter then turned and ran back to the ring platform. O'Neill made a short detour to the controls long enough to just hit the button. Then he wound up sliding onto the platform just as the rings dropped down around them. He lay on his back beside Carter, who knelt down, out of breath.

"Oh, that's gotta hurt," Daniel muttered, as they watched the grenades go off just outside the ring transporter alcove. In response to the explosions, they heard Anubis let out another frenzied roar.

They were beamed up, just then. O'Neill found himself laying on the floor of the Ha'tak peltac. The ship was shuddering slightly; O'Neill realized with relief that it was already taking off.

Carter--Sam--leaned over him and asked, "You ok?"

He nodded. "Can't complain, really. Yourself?"

Sam smiled down at him. "Not bad."

Jacob came over to them as they got up off the platform. "Is Anubis dead?"

Everyone was startled when the ring platform in the peltac lit up brilliantly just then--just as it always did just before someone was about to beam in.

"Uh, I think Anubis about to drop in right now," Daniel said nervously.

"Oh, for crying out loud," O'Neill said, annoyed. He aimed his weapon at the platform along with everyone else. "This is really getting old…."

The Ha'tak suddenly rocked violently as a humugous explosion erupted right underneath them, shaking the ship.

"Looks like the antimatter bomb finally went off!" Hailey said.

"Shields are up at maxium," Bra'tac called from the controls. "No damage. We are clear."

And just as suddenly as it lit up, the ring platform went dark. The destruction of the vault by the matter/antimatter bomb apparently had terminated the connection before it could activate the ring transporter.

"_Now_ Anubis is dead," O'Neill said with a sigh.

Daniel just shot him an annoyed look. "You mean you _hope_…."

"Trust me, Daniel, he's dead," O'Neill insisted.

"If he still comes out swinging from the rubble," Satterfield said, "then we're all in trouble."

"Ball can deal with him," O'Neill said with a wave of his hand.

"Ba'al, Jack," Jacob corrected. "And it looks like we've got to deal with _him_ right now!"

O'Neill glanced at the main view screen and saw several Ha'tak ships were rapidly closing in on their position. "Jump to hyperspace."

"We can not," Bra'tac informed him. "We are still too close to the planet's atmosphere."

"And those ships are going to be right on top of us in seconds," Jacob said.

"Wonderful," O'Neill muttered. "Looks like we'll have to shoot our way out."

"Is not the seeker wave working properly?" Char'el asked.

O'Neill exchanged an incredulous look with Jacob and Bra'tac. "You know where the button for that thing is?" O'Neill asked.

Char'el pointed it out on the console. "There. But you must give it time to build up energy, first."

"We do not have much time," Bra'tac said. "They are now almost right on top of us."

"Looks like I'm gonna have to make a call," O'Neill said. "Can somebody get Ball on the line for me?"

**SG1-SVU**

Ba'al was incensed when he saw the Ha'tak lift off from the pyramid shaped roof of the building below. It appeared as if that lone Ha'tak had evacuated either people or materiel from that building and was now making a run for it.

"Capture that ship," he told the peltac commander. "Have the fleet sweep in around them."

But then, when Ba'al saw the building with the pyramid-shaped roof suddenly rip apart in a massive explosion, he became enraged. The shock waves from the explosion devastated the surrounding buildings, as well as destroyed several Ha'tak ships in the adjoining ship yard.

"Did _they_ do that?" Qetesh asked. "Why?"

"Poisoning the well," Ba'al said in a fury. "They just denied us whatever was in that building. Well, once we capture whoever is aboard that ship, I shall deny them their lives."

"We're receiving a transmission from that ship, my lord," the peltac commander informed him.

"Perhaps they wish to surrender," Qetesh suggested.

"All the more easier it shall be for me to kill them," Ba'al said with a smile. He nodded at the commander. "Put them on. Main screen."

When the face of a military man with graying hair appeared on the screen, Ba'al said, "I am Lord Ba'al. Surrender your--"

"Hey there, Ball!" the man said with a cheery smile. "This here's Colonel Jack O'Neill, of SG-1. How ya doing?"

Ba'al was taken aback--both by the man's flip attitude, as well as the fact of who he was. Ba'al had heard of the exploits of the Tauri team SG-1, and their commander. He had hoped to defeat them in battle for the longest time--and here his wish had come true. Truly, this was a day of days!

Ba'al began to say, "You shall surrender your ship--"

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know a good hot dog place around here, would ya?" O'Neill asked.

Ba'al just stared at him, shaking his head. "Hot dog?"

"Yeah, it would be great if we could find a place where they also toast the bun, too," O'Neill said. "They really taste better that way."

Ba'al was so confused that he stared in puzzlement at Qetesh, who merely shook her head in equal confusion.

"So how about it, Ball?" O'Neill prodded. "You know of a good hot dog place around here, or what?"

"He's clearly insane," Qetesh whispered into Ba'al's ear.

"My lord!" the peltac commander cried. "There's a build up of energy coming from their ship!"

Before Ba'al could even give an order, he saw the enemy Ha'tak briefly glow as brilliantly as a sun, before the light dissipated into an energy wave that shot out from all sides of the ship, encompassing the entire area that surrounded it. Several of the Ha'tak ships in his fleet were struck by the wave, and were instantly incapacitated.

And that very same wave was headed straight for them.

"Nice meeting you, Ball," O'Neill said. The smile had faded from his face. "And, by the way, if you should find a really pissed-off, dog-faced guy in the rubble below, give him our regards."

'It was a diversion,' Ba'al realized in a panic. 'O'Neill kept us distracted with his silly banter, and I fell for it!'

"Evasive maneuver--" Ba'al started to say--

--just as the wave struck his ship.

The impact threw both him and Qetesh to the floor as consoles and panels all around them exploded.

**SG-1: SVU**

"We have room," Jacob said, smiling. "We're clear of the planet."

"Get us into hyperspace," O'Neill told him.

"Already done," Bra'tac told him, as he hit a button. Everything in the peltac felt as if it had shifted suddenly. "We have entered hyperspace, O'Neill."

Everyone--including Io'tan and her people--broke into cheers and applause at that news. O'Neill glanced at a smiling Carter and found himself smiling as well. He walked over to Olivia, who sat on the floor, holding Elliot's head in her lap. Casey knelt down next to her. Fraiser was busy examining Elliot. "How is he, Doc?"

"Out cold, but his pulse is stable, sir," Fraiser reported. She pointed at several blackened areas on Elliot's skin. "These burn marks are already healing quite nicely, thanks to his Goa'uld."

"Speaking of which, we'll need to move him to someplace secure before he wakes up," O'Neill said. "Last thing we need is a ticked-off Goa'uld running around."

"We have locked up Osiris in a cell on the prison level," Jacob told him. "There's more than enough room down there for him."

Olivia and Casey reluctantly allowed Char'el and his Jaffa to take the unconscious Elliot away.

"You can still safely remove the snake from his head?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, Liv," Jacob assured her. "All without harming Elliot--and Sarah, as well."

"You got them, Liv," O'Neill told her, grinning. "Casey and Elliot; you got them both back."

"Thanks entirely to you guys," Olivia said, as she and Casey hugged tightly. Then, when she broke her embrace with Casey, Olivia gestured at Daniel. "Come here, you."

Daniel came over to her and they hugged tightly as well. The hugging became infectious; Sam hugged her father, while Olivia then embraced Teal'c--who protested, saying that he did not do anything to deserve a hug from her.

"You were protecting me, big guy," Olivia told him. "Just like a big brother would. Thank you."

Rodney turned to Casey and held out his hands, as if expecting a hug. Casey merely grabbed his hand and shook it quickly. Then she turned and walked away as he stared longingly after her.

After congratulating Bra'tac, O'Neill then reached out and shook Io'tan's hand. "Thank you for all of your help."

"I give equal thanks to you, Colonel O'Neill. Through your actions, you and your people have saved the heart and soul of _my_ people."

"I only wish we could have saved far more than we did," he said somberly.

"But we did," Io'tan told him, smiling. "Below us now reside several thousand souls--all civilians; entire families, even--who managed to gain safe passage aboard this ship." She grew thoughtful. "It is ironic. This Ha'tak was originally built for death and destruction, and now it has become a ship of hope."

"With you in charge, it _will_ be that, and much more," O'Neill told her.

O'Neill then shook hands with Hailey and Satterfield, and also congratulated Fraiser on another job well done. And he turned around and found himself face to face with Carter.

With Sam.

She held out her hand. "Good job, sir."

"You too, Major," O'Neill replied. He was about to just shake her hand, but stopped. "Oh, to hell with it."

He pulled Sam into a tight hug, one which she gladly reciprocated. "Thanks for watching my back down there, Sam."

"Anytime, Jack," she replied, smiling.

"Hey, Jack!" Daniel yelled in mock-anger. "Where's _my_ hug, huh?!"

"Oh, for crying out loud," O'Neill grumbled, as Sam and everyone else burst into laughter. He pulled Daniel into a one-armed hug. "C'mere, you space monkey…."

**SG-1: SVU**

When Senator Kinsey received the call on his cell phone, he glanced about in the Senate hallway in which he strode to make sure he had the proper privacy before he answered. And when he did answer the phone, his tone was curt.

"What the hell do _you_ want?"

"And hello right back to you, Senator," Harry Maybourne said snidely. "Did you seriously think I was just going to go away quietly?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Kinsey said, annoyed.

"I did what you asked me to do," Maybourne told him. "I told SG-1 where Casey Novak was being held captive. I held up my end of the deal, Senator. Now I'd like for you to do the same. I expect payment in full."

"Casey Novak is still missing, you son of a bitch," Kinsey angrily said. "And, for all we know, _you_ might have been the one who abducted her!"

"Oh, bravo, Senator, really…very good!" Maybourne replied sarcastically. "I'd be clapping if I weren't holding the phone. Look, you don't have to worry about this call being bugged, or recorded, because it's not. I'm simply calling to remind you that you owe me big, and that I would like to collect on your debt to me."

"The only debt that's owed here is the one _you_ have to pay for being a traitorous bastard to this great country," Kinsey told him. "I've never had any dealings with you, Maybourne, and you know it!"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a split second, until Maybourne said, "You know, I _was_ going to warn you about something, Senator. Give you a friendly heads up, if you will. But…well, since you're being so nasty to me, I guess you can find out about it all on your own."

"Find out about what?!"

"One of your little schemes is about to whip around and bite you on the ass, Senator," Maybourne replied. "I do hope you're wearing cast iron underwear, because it's really going to hurt…."

There was a click, and Maybourne was gone.

'Son of a bitch,' Kinsey thought, as he continued walking down the hallway. The fact of the matter was he _did_ use Maybourne to warn SG-1 of Casey Novak's location--the NID, under the command of Frank Simmons, was simply out of control, and they had to be stopped--but Kinsey never had any intention of paying him for services rendered. Maybourne was a traitor, after all, and Kinsey couldn't very well leave a paper trail that connected him with the former NID agent.

'He's probably just bluffing about the warning,' Kinsey told himself. Yet when he bought a newspaper at the local newsstand, Kinsey stopped dead once he saw a strange headline.

SPECIAL CONFERENCE HELD IN D.C. the headline read. When Kinsey scanned the article, he saw that none other than Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the noted diplomat, had scheduled a conference between the United States and several nations later today. Weir, speaking in the article, insisted that the meeting was simply a discussion about a possible new defense treaty between the nations involved.

However, Kinsey's eyes grew wide when he realized that all of the nations that were attending the conference were the exact same countries from which Her Lord Empress Neith had abducted people from. And that was when he realized that Harry Maybourne had not been bluffing after all.

"Oh, good God!" Kinsey said in a panic.

Several other senators, along with various staff members and other office workers, all stopped to stare at the very strange sight of Robert Kinsey, a senior and respected senator, running like a madman through the hallways.

**To Be Continued....**


	13. Chapter 13

_My thanks to Barbarossa Rotbart for her review. _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Elizabeth was surprised at how easily this conference had come together. But then, all of the nations involved had been petitioning the United States--both publicly and privately--to either explain or take action regarding the Disappearances within their boarders, and when she had promised in her communiqué that the Disappeared issue would be the main one addressed, everyone involved in the crisis made sure they had an official delegate in Washington D.C. at the appropriate time.

And that time was now. Elizabeth looked around the vast conference room, which was presently empty. She always liked to "walk the room" as she called it, before a conference began. It gave Elizabeth a chance to make any last minute adjustments--if needed--as well as go over a basic summary of what needed to be said in her mind.

The security men watched her from their posts around the perimeter of the conference area. She was told that they were all from the SGC, and already had intimate knowledge of the stargate program. The security forces outside of the conference room consisted of United States military special forces personnel who were used to dealing with security arrangements for highly sensitive situations.

One of the security men abruptly raised his palm to his face and spoke into it. Then he took a step towards her and said, "Excuse me, Dr. Weir?"

"Yes?"

"There's a situation in the front lobby," he reported. "I'm told that it involves a Senator."

Elizabeth's eyebrows rose at that. "A Senator? Do you know what's going on, exactly?"

"He's trying to gain entrance to the conference."

"Does he have security clearance?"

He shook his head. "No, ma'am. But he's insisting on speaking to the person in charge."

"Oh, that would be me," Elizabeth said, with a small smile. "Might as go well see what the gentleman wants, then."

As she left the conference room, the security man started to leave with her--until Elizabeth told him to remain at his post. "I hardly think I'll need personal security," she told him, "since I'll be dealing with a U.S. Senator, after all."

When she arrived in the lobby, Elizabeth was greeted with the strange sight of an older man yelling at a beleaguered Woolsey--all while surrounded by a ring of security men. Elizabeth was further stunned to see that she recognized the older man as being the Senator in question--specifically, the powerful and influential Robert Kinsey.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Kinsey asked Woolsey. "You just went of half-cocked without consulting anybody!"

"But I _did_ consult with the President," Woolsey insisted. "I kept him appraised of my every move!"

"Never mind the President, what about me?! You never deigned to keep _me_ informed, and now you've got this Weir broad involved!"

"She's very highly recommended," Woolsey told him. "The President--"

"Forget the President!" Kinsey snapped. "What gave you the bright idea to get others involved in my plans in the first place?!"

"Senator, this problem is simply too vast for any one agency--or man--to handle," Woolsey said. "When General Hammond made the suggestion that I call in outside help--"

"General Ham--" Kinsey broke off with a shake of his head. "Oh, that's just priceless! You asked for help from the very man whom I'm trying to oust from the SGC?! What kind of a NID agent are you?!"

"One who only wants what's best for everyone," Woolsey caustically replied.

Elizabeth, taking as much of this scene as she could, finally decided to step in. "Excuse me…."

Kinsey glared at her. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir," she told him in a calm tone.

"YOU!" Kinsey roared with anger, as he stormed over to her. "How dare you steal this from me!"

An alarmed Elizabeth found herself backing up helplessly against a wall as an enraged Kinsey loomed dangerously over her.

One of the security men stepped in just before Kinsey could reach out and grab Elizabeth. "Back off, Senator, right now!" he warned.

"Who are you?" Kinsey whirled on him. "What's your name?"

"Major John Sheppard," he replied. "United States Air Force."

"When I get through with you, you'll be Private Sheppard, digging up land mines in Afghanistan!" Kinsey told him. He turned back to Elizabeth. "And as for you! I don't know who you've screwed to get this job, but you've wasted your time, honey, because _I'm_ supposed to be in charge of this conference!"

"I was asked personally by the President of the United States to head this conference," Elizabeth told him firmly. "If you have a problem with that, then I suggest you take it up with the President! Major Sheppard, please remove the Senator from the premises."

"My pleasure," Sheppard replied. He gestured towards the door. "Senator, if you would please?"

"If you knew who I am, and how much power I wield," Kinsey intoned, "you wouldn't _dare_--"

He was cut off when Sheppard moved in so close that they both glared face to face at each other. "Senator, or no senator, if you do not move your ass within the next five seconds, I will have you on the floor and in cuffs before you even draw your next breath--do you understand me? And if you think _I'm_ bluffing, Senator," Sheppard added, "then just try me!"

That finally quelled the fire within Kinsey. He angrily nodded at Sheppard, then at Elizabeth. "Very well. But this isn't the last of it. Not by a long shot!"

Elizabeth let out a weary sigh once Kinsey finally stormed off, escorted by several of the security men under Sheppard's command.

When she saw Woolsey was looking a bit frazzled, Elizabeth went over to him and asked, "Are you all right, Mr. Woolsey?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Doctor Weir," he replied with a smile. "Although I don't think I'm going to be working with the NID for much longer…."

"If Kinsey tries to oust you, or put any pressure on you whatsoever," Elizabeth angrily told him. "You just let me know and I'll make sure--"

She stopped when he held up a hand. "Thank you very much, Doctor. But it's not that," he said. "I'm starting to have some serious thoughts about quitting the NID altogether. But, that's neither here or there, right now. We've got an extremely important conference to get ready for, and so I'll see you inside."

"Very well," Elizabeth said. "See you inside, Mr. Woolsey."

"Dr. Weir?" one of her assistants called to her. "The delegates are arriving."

"Yes, thank you," she replied. "I'll be right in."

When Elizabeth paused in the doorway to catch her breath, Sheppard came over to her. "Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, just getting myself in the right frame of mind, so I won't go in there and start yelling at everybody."

"That Kinsey is something else, ain't he?"

"That he is, Major. And thank you for the save, by the way. I really appreciate it."

Sheppard waved his hand. "That's why I'm here, Dr. Weir. To keep the inmates in line." He paused uneasily for a moment. "Um, not that _you're_ one of the inmates…."

Elizabeth smiled at that. She couldn't help but notice that his right hand was heavily bandaged. "May I ask what happened to your hand, Major?"

"I hurt it in a ping-pong game," he replied, holding up his bandaged hand. "This is why I'm here, on security detail, and not out in the field."

"That must have been one hell of a ping-pong game," Elizabeth commented.

"Oh, it was _brutal_," he said, with mock-horror. "Maybe I'll tell you about it later, over coffee?"

"I'm sorely tempted, Major--I'd really love to hear this ping-pong story of yours--but I don't know how long this conference will run. We may be here all night."

Sheppard shrugged. "I've got nothing planned for the rest of this evening."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Very well. Coffee it is, then. See you when I see you."

"Break a leg," Sheppard called after her, "or whatever it is that diplomats do…."

"Thanks," she called over her shoulder. "Try not to break your other hand."

"Oh, rest assured," he replied, "I'm staying away from the ping-pong tables from now on."

Elizabeth still had a smile on her face when she entered the conference room. As she took her seat and got ready, Dr. Elizabeth Weir found herself already looking forward to seeing Major John Shepard again.

**SG-1: SVU**

It would be some time before they arrived at Earth, so O'Neill went for a leisurely stroll around the Ha'tak with Carter. When Io'tan had told him that they managed to rescue several thousand people from Mount Tanis, O'Neill had figured she was just being optimistic, but a quick look at the multitude of people gathered aboard the Ha'tak was both awe-inspiring and heartening. The Ha'tak was brimming with life. They were mainly civilians--and O'Neill smiled at the large groups of children that ran around wildly, excitedly exploring their new surroundings.

Several of the displaced Mount Tanis residents stared at Carter in awe and spoke to each other in whispers. When they began to respectfully chant "Tauri" over and over at her, O'Neill realized that they must have recognized Carter from her and Liv's big escape from the maze.

For her part Carter tried to ignore them by staring shyly at the floor as they walked, her face growing redder with embarrassment by the second. O'Neill could not admire her anymore than he did now. A more self-centered person, like Rodney McKay, would be enjoying this adulation--but not Sam.

"How does it feel to be a rock star, Carter?" he asked. When she just shot him a pained look, O'Neill grinned and said, "C'mon, let's see if we can't give your adoring fans the slip."

They entered a large open space, which Teal'c and Bra'tac were using as a workout area to train Char'el and the other Jaffa. O'Neill noted that the people who were frantically following Carter had abruptly stopped at the doorway. Even though the assembled Jaffa here were the good guys, their natural fear of all Jaffa was still inbred in the citizens, and O'Neill wondered if they would ever lose it.

Bra'tac was presently showing the Mount Tanis Jaffa how to expertly wield a staff weapon. He pointed at one of the Jaffa and said, "You. Attack me with your staff weapon, now."  
The man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, simply smiled and shook his head. "I will not."

"Why not?" Bra'tac demanded.

"Because you are an old man," he replied respectfully.

"If I am such an old man," Bra'tac coolly shot back, "then it should be all the more easier for to you attack me, no? Or perhaps the reason you will not attack is because you are afraid of me?"

When the assembled Jaffa all laughed heartily at that, the young Jaffa was now honor-bound to attack Bra'tac, which he did. He charged at the Master Jaffa, swinging his staff weapon--and, within a few seconds, he lay on the floor, disarmed, and with Bra'tac aiming the back end of his own weapon right at the young Jaffa's neck.

O'Neill noted that the rest of the Jaffa were no longer laughing, nor were they even smiling. There was now an awed silence in the room.

"I could remove his head right now, if I wanted to," Bra'tac told the crowd. He then helped the downed Jaffa up to his feet. "What did he do wrong?"

"His thrust was too low," one of the Jaffa in the crowd said.

Bra'tac shook his head. "No. Before he even attacked me, what did he do wrong?" When his question was met with baffled stillness, Bra'tac said, "He underestimated me!"

O'Neill glanced over and saw the look on Carter's face had change to one of unease. He wasn't sure what bothered her, but something did. Rather than ask what was wrong in front of all these people, O'Neill gestured with his head for her to continue walking with him.

After they both exchanged waves with Teal'c, O'Neill and Carter walked on, entering another hallway. They walked quietly until they came to an elevator.

"Up or down?" O'Neill asked.

"Down," Carter replied. She still looked apprehensive.

They stepped into the elevator and rode it to the next level just below them.

O'Neill couldn't avoid it any longer. He turned to Carter and said, "Something wrong?"

Carter nodded. "I'm just wondering if letting them have this ship was the right idea, sir. A Ha'tak is a very powerful and devastating weapon."

"It's devastating only if it's in the wrong hands," O'Neill replied, as the doors opened and they stepped outside the elevator. He smiled as more children happily ran past them. "With Io'tan in charge, I doubt we'll have to worry."

"If you say so, sir," Carter said doubtfully.

"Io'tan will be a far better, and far more decent, leader than Mut was," O'Neill said. "Besides, this situation is no different to when we relocate people to a new planet, Carter."

"But the people we normally relocate usually don't have the firepower to wipe out earth, sir," she countered.

"And therein lies the rub," O'Neill said. "As long as we were dealing with simple farmers who weren't a threat to us, there was never any question--or worry--about their integrity."

"So you're saying I shouldn't worry about earth's security, sir?"

O'Neill stopped walking and faced her. "No, never. That should always be the paramount thing on our minds, Carter. But what do you suggest we do, here? Try and take the ship from Io'tan and her people?"

Carter appeared just as uncomfortable with that very thought. "We'd be no better than the Goa'uld if we did that, sir. Besides, from a purely practical viewpoint, we're severely outnumbered, here."

"Exactly," O'Neill told her. "And let's look at the tactical viewpoint from the other side, shall we? There may be several thousand people aboard this ship, but the civilians vastly outnumber the Jaffa. This ship is basically a cozy, mobile apartment building that can defend itself very well, if it has to--but as far as launching planetary assaults, such as on earth, they just don't have the manpower to accomplish it. And you're also forgetting something else: there's an upshot to this situation for us."

"Which is?"

"We now have a new ally out here," O'Neill said. "And that's something we can always use."

Carter nodded. "Good point, sir."

As they continued walking, they stopped once more when they saw Dr. Fraiser treating some of the displaced Mount Tanis residents in an improvised clinic that was set up in another vast room. As they came up to her, Fraiser was bandaging the arm of a man who sat on a bed--one of many beds that had been moved in here for the sick and injured. O'Neill saw Fraiser had plenty of help from a large group of the white-clad Priestesses In Waiting, who acted as efficient nurses for her as they tended to the sick and wounded.

"How's it going, Doc?" he asked.

"Not too bad, sir," Fraiser replied, as she finished up the bandage on the man. "Mostly minor injuries: sprained ankles, some broken bones--and a woman who just gave birth. Nothing life-threatening."

"The woman who gave birth, boy or girl?" Carter asked.

"Girl," Fraiser responded. She pointed at a woman lying in a cot who held a newborn in her arms. Her proud husband knelt over them. "That's her right there."

"Tauri!" the man whom Fraiser had been treating abruptly said. He stared awe-struck at Carter, as if the very sight of her was the epiphany of his life-long dreams. "Tauri!"

Once he began doing this, the rest of the patients took notice of Carter's presence and began chanting as well. Several of them even tried to stagger out of bed--until Fraiser and her nurses ordered them to lie down again.

"Um, I think we better leave, sir," Carter said with unease. "Before I start a riot…."

O'Neill couldn't help but grin at her. "Very well, Major. Let's go."

But before they could leave, the proud husband and new father of the baby came running up to them. "Wait," he said to Carter. "Please, tell me your name!"

"Um, Major Carter," she replied, looking confused.

The man turned to his bid-ridden wife and repeated, "Major Carter!"

The young mother mouthed the name as she glanced down at her little girl with a dissatisfied expression.

O'Neill, realizing what they were doing, placed his hand on Carter's shoulder and told the man, "Her first name is Samantha. Or Sam, for short."

"Samantha, or Sam, for short," the man eagerly called back to his wife.

His wife beamed happily as she nodded in satisfaction.

The man turned to Carter and said, "May we call our daughter Samantha, after you?"

Carter appeared to be broad-sided by this. She nodded quickly. "Uh, yeah, I-I'd be so honored…thank you very much…."

"No, thank _you_," the man told her. "It is we who are honored."

"Sam!" Frasier called with concern, when Carter abruptly turned and ran out of the clinic.

O'Neill followed her into the corridor, where he found Carter leaning against the wall, crying. "I-I don't deserve that!" she said, in-between sobs.

"Why not?" he asked softly.

"These people are worshipping me, a-and all I did was just save my own skin! I'm no hero!"

"It's not like that at all," O'Neill told her. "You and Olivia were placed in a dire situation, and you refused to accept it by saving yourself--as well as Liv--against all odds. Don't you _ever_ feel bad about doing that. I'm certainly happy that you did what you did, Sam--and I think I speak for Olivia, Daniel, Teal'c, Fraiser, Cassie, your dad and a lot of other people."

"I realize that. But what bothers me is what happened later _because_ of what I did," Carter said, as she wiped her tears with a tissue that he offered her. "I mean, the riots? The uprising? How many people were killed because of me?"

"Sam, listen to me: by escaping the maze, you showed these people that the Netian Empire wasn't invincible, nor was it absolute. In that moment, you showed them that her Lord Empress Mut could be beaten at her own game. And once they realized that, they took matters entirely into their own hands." He shook his head. "All of this is just so much bigger than each one of us. We each play our part, and do our best, and others take the baton from us and just…carry on with the race, y'know? Does that make any sense at all?"

Sam smiled as she nodded. "Yes, it does."

"Good," he said. "Then, can you explain it to me?"

Sam burst into laughter just then--which was O'Neill's intent all along. They were both distracted by the sound of cheering that came from further down the corridor.

"Sounds like somebody's having a good time," O'Neill commented. "Want to find out what's going on?"

Sam shrugged. "Sure. As long as they're not cheering for me…."

O'Neill chuckled as he affectionately rubbed the back of her neck. "C'mon."

They followed the sounds of cheering to another vast room, where a large group of children were busy playing a game of some kind on the smooth marble floor. They used the broad square tiles of the floor as their playing field. From the bandages that some of them wore, O'Neill deduced that several of the children were Fraiser's patients, whom she deemed to be well enough not to be confined to bed.

In the middle of the playing field, and at the center of attention, was Grace Satterfield. Barefoot, and stripped of her gear down to just her t-shirt and pants, the young lieutenant hesitantly played the game as best she could, while the children taught her, step by step. To O'Neill, the game they played looked like an odd cross between softball and hopscotch.

"No, no," a little five year old girl shouted at Satterfield. "You go over _here_, now!"

"But I was just over there," Satterfield paitently explained. "You were the one who told me to go--"

"No, no, no," the little girl said, as she shook her head and waved her arms--she looked like a tiny referee. "No good, Grace, no good."

"So does this mean I'm out?" Satterfield said hopefully. "I can go sit on the bench, now?"

"No," a boy piped up, "you move two steps over _there_, now!"

"Ok." Yet Satterfield only managed to hop once to her right before another little boy--who looked to be no more than three years old--came running out from the crowds with a big smile and his arms held out. He then wrapped his arms tightly around Satterfield's knees with great affection, effectively trapping her right where she was.

"Uh-oh, time out, guys!" Satterfield said good-naturedly, as she made the 'T' signal with her hands. "It's time for another Noli break!"

"NOLI!" all of the assembled children cried in annoyance at the little boy, who appeared completely oblivious to all but Satterfield.

O'Neill and Carter shared a chuckle at this scene--apparently this wasn't the first time little Noli had interrupted the game by running in and giving Satterfield's legs a hug.

"Looks like you've found a friend, Lieutenant," O'Neill said.

Satterfield's smile faded slightly when she saw them. "Yes, sir, I did. And, um, I apologize."

"For what, having fun?" O'Neill asked with a grin.

"Well, for being out of uniform, for one thing," Satterfield replied, looking sheepish. "But the kids initially appeared to be intimidated by all of my gear, so I thought it would be better for them if I dressed down."

"That idea seemed to have worked very well," Carter said, as she smiled down at Noli, who stared back up at her in fascination as he clung protectively to Satterfield's leg.

"And, not to worry, sir," Satterfield added. "My weapon, radio, IDC and other gear is secure. It's all with Doctor Fraiser."

"As I expected," O'Neill said. "Good thinking, Lieutenant…on all counts."

Satterfield nodded with a smile. "Thank you, sir."

"You can not play!" the little referee sternly told O'Neill and Carter.

"No?!" Carter said, with pretend-sadness. "Can we watch, then?"

The little girl seriously considered that request for a moment, then said, "Ok."

O'Neill and Carter took a seat on an empty bench, then waited for the game to resume. But Satterfield continued to stand there awkwardly, as little Noli still tightly clutched her legs.

Satterfield bent down and asked, "Um, are you gonna let go, Noli?"

"No," the little boy said, as he grinned up at her.

"NOLI!" the other children shouted at him in unison. "Come on! Let go of her!"

"No, no," he solemnly told them, shaking his head. "No."

O'Neill was trying very hard not to laugh, for Satterfield's sake--but when Carter started a giggling fit next to him, he caved in and broke into laughter.

"You might be bringing him home with you, if you're not careful, Satterfield," Carter said, still giggling.

"Or worst yet," O'Neill added. "_He_ might be bringing Satterfield home with him!"

Yet Satterfield was unfazed by the riotous laughter that followed. Instead, she bent down and affectionately rubbed Noli's back as she said, "But this is why I joined the SGC; to meet fun new people like Noli, here. Right, little guy?"

"Yeah," Noli replied with a giggle of his own.

**SG-1: SVU**

Olivia sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the prison cell that Elliot was in. He lay on the cot, still unconscious; which worried her--despite the fact that Janet had assured her that he was healing very well from the wounds inflicted on him by Anubis.

Osiris had tried to taunt Olivia from her cell next door. But Olivia just ignored her--until Osiris, growing bored, finally left her alone.

Olivia didn't really know why she was here, since once he woke up, it would be the Goa'uld Ke'tesh whom Olivia would be dealing with, and not Elliot. But she still felt the need to at least be here for the real Elliot, who she knew was still buried inside, somewhere.

'Can't wait until they pull that damn snake out of his head,' she thought glumly.

"He's still out?" a voice asked.

Olivia smiled up at Daniel, who leaned against the wall behind her. "Yeah. Janet says he'll be fine. But the fact that he's been out for so long makes me a bit nervous."

"Truth be told, taking the hit that he did from Anubis, he should be dead," Daniel said, as he sat down cross-legged next to her. "It's the Goa'uld inside of him that actually saved his life, Liv."

"Yeah, well, forgive me if I don't thank it," she flatly muttered.

"I just came back from seeing Jacob up in the peltac," Daniel said. "We're about two hours out from earth. So it won't be long, now."

"They can do the procedure on earth?" she asked. "Remove the snake?"

"We'll have to call in some experts from the Tok'ra to actually _do_ the procedure, but--yeah--it can be done at Stargate Command."

Osiris suddenly pressed her face against the bars of her cell. "Daniel," she said desperately, "it's me, Sarah! Please, I don't know what happened to me! Help me…please, get me out of this--"

"Osiris," Daniel said harshly, "shut up!"

She reached out for him through the cell bars. "No, Daniel, you don't understand, I just woke up, and--"

"And _I_ wasn't born yesterday," Daniel retorted. "I know this is just an act, Osiris, so save your breath!"

Olivia was stunned at the change in her face just then. The pleading look was instantly replaced by a harsh visage that was accented by the bright flare of her eyes. "You Tauri think you are so smart," Osiris sneered. "But your day of reckoning is approaching…."

"You talk pretty tough for somebody who's in a jail cell," Olivia shot back, as she got to her feet. "Hey, you want to get something to eat, Daniel?"

"Yeah," he replied, as he also got up. "The air in here is getting pretty stale, anyway."

One of the Jaffa loyal to Io'tan appeared in the doorway with a concerned expression. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Daniel told him. "We're just taking a break from the Goa'uld rhetoric."

They left the jail cells and went back to what was called the common area by the SG-1 team. It was a large corridor that ran through a junction in the center of the deck. This junction served as a sort of meeting area for the people aboard the Ha'tak, and to Olivia, it almost looked like a shopping mall. It had the same casual atmosphere of a mall food court, or any other area that served as a social gathering place, with people calmly chatting with each other.

The place was so mellow and laid back that Olivia had to keep reminding herself that she was aboard a Goa'uld Ha'tak vessel. When she mentioned this to Daniel, he just smiled and nodded. "It's great to see, isn't it? There's something very poetic in how a battleship has been turned into a ship of peace that's filled with such vibrant life like this."

But Olivia was distracted by a woman who stood a few feet away from them, speaking to a group of people gathered by a wall. She pointed at her and said, "Is that Casey?"

Daniel frowned at her in concentration. "No--wait, yes! That _is_ Casey!"

When Casey noticed them, she smiled and came over. Olivia still couldn't believe what she saw. Casey had exchanged her slave girl bikini outfit for a pure white two piece outfit that was trimmed in gold. The top was a strapless wrap, which bared her stomach, while the bottom was essentially a sarong. And, to top it off, Casey wore a delicate gold necklace with a matching bracelet on her right wrist.

"Hey, guys," Casey said, as she shyly posed her new outfit for them. "What do you think?"

"You now look like Princess Leia on vacation in the Caribbean," Olivia commented with a smile. "A space princess who's kicking back."

"Very nice," Daniel said. "Although I think McKay won't be happy to hear that you no longer look like Deja Thoris."

Casey laughed. "I'm sorry to disappoint Rodney. But I really needed a shower, and I _really_ didn't want to put that outfit back on again. So Char'el helped me pick this out. Isn't that cute? He even picked out the jewelry for me to wear."

"Char'el?!" Olivia blurted out. "Wait, was Char'el with you when you were taking the shower?"

"No, of course not," Casey said, with a shocked look. "I mean, he wasn't actually _in_ the shower with me…."

Olivia stared at her anxiously. "But he was in the _room_ while you showered?"

"Yeah, but there was a partition between us, Liv," Casey explained. "It's not like he _saw _anything--well, at least not before I stepped _out_ of the shower. But he was already holding up the towel for me by then."

"Oh, my God," Olivia said in disbelief.

"Come on, Olivia," Casey said, with a shake of her head. "It's not like we've made love…."

"--yet?" Daniel said, as he gave her a sideways glance.

Casey just grinned broadly at him as her face turned red. "Can I ask you something, Daniel?"

"Sure, Casey. What is it?"

"That slit that the Jaffa have in their bellies?" Casey said, as she gestured at her own bare stomach. "That doesn't just…open up without warning at any old time, does it?"

"Um…no, the Jaffa has total control over that, Casey."

She nodded, looking pleased. "So…if Char'el and I were--say--really going at it in in the sack, it won't just…fly open on its own, then? Good."

Before a shocked Olivia could even react to that, the corridors of the Ha'tak abruptly echoed with the whooping sounds of an alarm klaxon.

"Uh-oh," Daniel muttered, as he immediately keyed his radio. "Daniel to Jacob. Come in, over."

"Yeah, Daniel. Go."

"What happened, Jacob? Why'd you hit the ship-wide alarm? Over."

"That wasn't us, Daniel," Jacob replied. "There's nothing wrong up here. Hold on a sec. Over." After a brief pause, Jacob came back on. "According to our readings, the alarm was activated by somebody in the prison section. Over."

"Oh, Christ," Olivia muttered in dismay. "We just left there!"

"Jacob, Liv and I are the closest, so we'll check it out and get back to you," Daniel said. "Do me a favor and alert the others to the situation. Over."

"The alarm probably already alerted them," Jacob replied. "But I'll give them the details. You and Liv be careful. Over."

"We will, over and out." He glanced at Olivia as he pulled out his zat. "You ready?"

She pulled out her own zat and gave him a nod. "Ready when you are. Let's go."

"I'm coming with you," Casey told them.

"Ok, but stay behind us, Deja," Olivia told her. "You're not armed."

"Don't call me Deja," Casey muttered with a frown, as she followed them down the corridor.

**SG-1: SVU**

Satterfield had managed to work out a compromise with Noli so that she could continue to play the game with him by her side. At first the little referee, whose name O'Neill learned was Keilo, had vehemently objected, until Carter gently explained to her that, since Noli wouldn't leave Satterfield's side, this would be the best arrangement for all of them to have in order for the game to continue. And so it did, with little Noli happily hopping around, hand in hand with Satterfield, the girl of his dreams.

O'Neill still couldn't make heads or tails out of how the game was played, and strongly suspected that the children were just making it up as they went along--but, despite this, he was thoroughly enjoying himself in the presence of these kids. O'Neill couldn't help but darkly wonder if any of the kids here had families, or if they had been made orphans by the recent events that occurred to their former home of Mount Tanis.

'Still, I suppose it's far better for them to be here, on this ship filled with caring people, rather than to be trapped with the rest of the poor souls who were captured by Ba'al and his minions,' O'Neill thought.

His somber musings were interrupted when a klaxon began to whoop loudly. He and Carter exchanged a wary glance as they quickly got up from the bench they sat on. Noli and the children who were playing the game instantly crowded around Satterfield, while the rest of the children--who were also immediately frightened--crowded around both O'Neill and Carter.

He keyed his radio. "O'Neill to Jacob, over."

"Yeah, Jack. Somebody in the prison section hit the ship-wide alarm. We don't know why, yet. Daniel and Olivia are already on their way to check it out. Over."

"Oh, no," Carter moaned. "That's where we're keeping Osiris and Ke'tesh locked up."

"Carter and I are on our way there, now, Jacob," O'Neill said. "Over and out."

"I'll come with you sir," Satterfield offered. "Just let me get my gun."

"No, we'll round up the kiddies and get them back to the clinic," O'Neill told her. "And you stay there with Fraiser. Just in case we have a Goa'uld wandering around, I'd feel better knowing Fraiser and her patients had some extra protection."

"Very good, sir," Satterfield said.

As he, Carter and Satterfield herded the kids back towards the clinic, O'Neill shook his head in disgust at the fear he saw in the childrens' eyes. 'Leave it to the damn Goa'uld to ruin a wonderously fun moment….'

**SG-1: SVU**

They ran back down to where the prison section was located. Olivia and Daniel paused by the doorway as they cautiously peered inside. "Got a man down," Olivia said, when she saw the Jaffa lying on the floor. He lay just under the alarm button. "Looks like he was the one who sounded the alarm, just before he was taken down."

Olivia and Daniel warily entered the cellblock area, where they had just sat cross-legged on the floor minutes earlier. The cells which housed both Osiris and Ke'tesh were empty.

"Damn it," Olivia said. "Looks like he was faking being out cold."

"And was secretly armed with something that could open his cell door," Daniel added.

"Guys!" Casey called from the doorway.

When they found her, Casey was standing in the corridor, pointing at something to her right. "There were flashing lights down there, like coming from a zat gun. Now I hear people screaming."

"That's probably where they went," Olivia grimly muttered.

"There's a small hanger deck on this level," Daniel said, with a look of alarm. "It's got a couple of alkesh ships in it. We've gotta beat them to it."

"Daniel, wait!" Olivia called after him as he ran off in a panic. Olivia pointed at the injured Jaffa and said, "Stay here with him, Casey."

Olivia then ran after Daniel, who turned a corner ahead of her. She could well understand how he felt; Sarah was just as much a prisoner of the Goa'uld Osiris as Elliot was a prisoner of Ke'tesh. But Daniel was letting his feelings for her get in the way of his common sense.

Olivia paused in the middle of a junction, with several dozen extremely excited people standing around her. Some of them huddled around a man who lay on the ground. "Is he all right?" she asked them.

They nodded at her. "The Goa'uld went that way," one of them, a woman, said.

Olivia saw that she pointed towards a doorway that led to darkness. As she ran through it, her radio came to life. "Liv, Daniel, come in," O'Neill said. "Over."

"Jack," Olivia urgently said, as she keyed her radio, "put guards on all the hanger decks throughout the ship. They're trying to make a break for it. Over."

"Consider it done," he replied. "Where are you? Over."

Olivia glanced around the vast room, which was dimly lit, and had several large columns. She did a double take when she saw Osiris, who lay with her eyes closed on the floor. "I've found Osiris," she spoke into the radio. "She appears unconscious. I can't find Daniel or Ke'tesh. Over."

Keeping her zat aimed at Osiris with one hand, Olivia prodded her with her foot. When she didn't move, Olivia felt her pulse, which was steady. Osiris appeared to be truly knocked out.

"Where _are _you, Liv?" O'Neill forcefully asked. "Over."

"I'm in a vast space, with multiple columns, that's located just off the main junction, west of the prison section," Olivia answered. "I found Osiris, and she's--"

Olivia stopped speaking when she glanced over at the shocking sight before her.

Elliot/Ke'tesh stood there, holding an unconscious Daniel up against his chest. Daniel's head lolled about drunkenly as Ke'tesh aimed his zat right at Daniel's temple.

'Oh Christ,' Olivia thought with dread. She realized what had happened. Ke'tesh must have shot Osiris with his zat, and when an unsuspecting Daniel found her, Ke'tesh then shot him.

"Drop your weapon and surrender yourself to me," Elliot/Ke'tesh ordered her. "Or else I kill him."

Olivia held her radio in the 'speak' position, making sure that O'Neill just heard what Elliot/Ke'tesh had said. When he saw what she was doing, he roared, "Remove your hand from the communication device, or else I kill Daniel Jackson right now, woman!"

"Ok," Olivia said, as she removed her hand from the radio on her shoulder. She kept her zat aimed at him with the other hand. "Ok, see? My hand is off the radio."

"Now throw down your weapon and kneel before your god, you Tauri bitch!" Elliot/Ke'tesh ordered her.

"Liv!" Sam's voice desperately called out from her radio. "Just hold on! We're all coming for you and Daniel!"

"Listen to me," Olivia said calmly to Elliot/Ke'tesh. "Just listen, ok? The hanger decks are now all under guard. There's no way for you to get off this ship, so--"

"If you shoot me with that gun, I will only be rendered unconscious," Elliot/Ke'tesh told her. "But your friend here will receive a second dose, and will die instantly. So you can speak whatever babble you wish, Tauri, for it does not matter. _I_ hold the upper hand here, not you. Now, for the last time, put down your weapon!"

Olivia reached down into her holster with her free hand and grasped the Glock. Once she dropped the zat, she instantly brought the Glock to bear on Elliot/Ke'tesh.

"You foolish woman!" Elliot/Ke'tesh told her as he started backing away with Daniel in his arms. "The human whose body I inhabit still loves you. And he is very saddened to see you aim your weapon right at him. He is saddened that you would turn on him like this. His wife, Kathy, hates you with every fiber of her being--and she is right to do so, Olivia, for you are truly a dirty, misbegotten whore. It now appears that Elliot made the right choice in choosing Kathy over such a spiteful, back-stabbing little bitch like you."

Olivia ignored the assault of his ugly, hurtful words and took careful aim with the Glock.

"Damn you, wench!" Elliot/Ke'tesh hissed at her. "Drop your weapon, NOW! Or else I shall kill this man right here and--"

"Elliot!" Olivia called out, as she continued to aim the Glock dead on target. "Sweetie, I'm so very sorry…."

"Liv!" Elliot suddenly said, in his normal voice. "No, wait, it's me! Please, don't--"

Olivia pulled the trigger--

--and the Glock fired.

**...to be concluded in the next and final chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

_I'd like to thank Barbarossa Rotbart and buffyextreme for their kind feedback. Thanks very much!_

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Chapter Fourteen **

Although Janet Fraiser removed the bullet from Elliot's shoulder the moment they arrived at the SGC, the decision was made to keep the Goa'uld inside Elliot for a little while longer; because the snake-like parasite that sat within Elliot's head did a very good job at healing him at a rapid pace--far better than even Janet could do, as even she freely admitted. And so, despite the fact that the team of Tok'ra specialists had arrived and had already removed Osiris from the head of Sarah Gardner, Elliot had to put up with being a host, and still in total control of Ke'tesh, for a few days longer.

This twisted irony was not lost on Olivia, for she was the one who had put the bullet into Elliot, as a last, desperate measure to save Daniel's life. While Daniel was fine, and extremely grateful to Olivia for taking such a bold step, Olivia felt nothing but heart-wrenching guilt, and had spent every moment she could by Elliot's bedside in the infirmary. He had been strapped down to the bed, and had initially been placed in a drug-induced deep sleep by Janet. But Elliot kept awaking up. It appeared that the Goa'uld Ke'tesh quickly healed him of the sleep medication, so Janet gave up trying to keep him under and had armed airmen placed outside his private room, just as a further protective measure.

Olivia sat and impassively listened as the Goa'uld spewed forth every foul-mind curse it could think at her. It was so surreal to hear this filthy language--directed exclusively at her--come out of Elliot's mouth that it reminded Olivia of the film The Exorcist. She had half-expected to see his head start to spin around.

It was during one of these hostile rants that Daniel had entered the room. He strode up to Olivia and gently grasped her arm.

"Come with me," Daniel told her.

"Why?" Olivia asked. "What's wrong?"

"What is wrong is that you are a FILTHY WHORE!" Ke'tesh screeched at her. "Everyone knows this!"

"Just come with me," Daniel said, ignoring the Goa'uld, "right now, please."

Olivia left the room, with the foul cursing from Ke'tesh still ringing in her ears, hand in hand with Daniel, who led her back to her private quarters at the SGC.

Once inside her quarters, Daniel closed the door, then placed his hands on her arms. "There's no need for you to subject yourself to that, Liv. You didn't do anything wrong."

She shook her head. "I just need to be there for him--"

"Why?" he asked bluntly. "You're not helping Elliot, and you're certainly not helping yourself by listening to that incessant cursing from Ke'tesh."

"No, you don't understand, I--" Olivia started to say, until her voice caught. And then she realized that she could even bring herself to say the words that had been weighing so heavily in her mind. "Um, I--uh…."

Daniel gazed meaningfully at her for a moment. And then he whispered, "Let it out, Liv."

She was about to ask what he meant, but Olivia already felt the tears welling up behind the emotional dam that she had so carefully built up within her.

Daniel placed his hands on either side of her face and gently said, "Just let it go, Liv. Right now."

And she did. The tears flowed freely as she began to bawl like a baby against Daniel's shoulder. The events of the past few days--including the horrifying moment where she shot Elliot--all poured out of her just then. And Daniel held her tightly, and listened to her, and supported her.

Once Olivia was spent, they wound up sitting side by side on the edge of her bed. Olivia felt exhausted by her crying jag, but she also felt extremely relieved, as if a great burden had finally been lifted from her shoulders. And Daniel had been there for her. She glanced over at him with a renewed perspective, as a person who had just become more than just a close friend.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, as she reached out and grasped his hand. "Thank you."

"You _really_ want to thank me?" he asked. "You can do that by staying away from Elliot--at least until the Goa'uld is removed from him. Once he's free of it, _then_ he'll really need you, Liv."

She nodded thoughtfully. "How's Sarah?"

"Very grateful that this nightmare is finally over for her," he said with a heavy sigh. "And also feeling as guilty as hell, too. Especially at how badly she treated Casey."

"But you've told her that, whatever she did under the influence of Osiris, it wasn't her fault?"

"Oh yeah. But she still feels bad. She remembers everything."

"Just like Elliot will," Olivia said darkly. She released his hand. "I guess now that Sarah's back, you'll be seeing a lot more of her, then, huh?"

"Well, I'll be there for her, to help her as much as I can, until she can get back on her feet and get back to a resemblance of her former life," Daniel replied.

"So…I guess that means you'll be moving back in with her?" she asked.

He gave her a puzzled look. "Uh, no, we actually broke up--long before she was taken by Osiris. As I've said, I'll stand by her, and help her in any way I can. But it's been over between us for a while."

Olivia nodded. She had already known that Daniel and Sarah Gardner were no longer an item, yet she just needed to be sure that Sarah's return didn't reignite the flame of their old relationship. She wasn't sure why, but it was suddenly very important for Olivia to know that Daniel wasn't seeing anybody right now.

"Uh, you and Elliot," Daniel abruptly said. "You guys are just friends, right?"

"Um, yeah," she replied, with a nod. "He's a happily married man."

"Oh, good--I mean, that-that's good…you know, for him," Daniel replied. "Um, Sam tells me that you're thinking about staying with us? With SG-1?"

"Yeah--if you guys will _have_ me, that is."

"Oh, there's no problem with that," Daniel said, as he grasped Olivia's hand in his own. He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. It felt very good to Olivia. "Everybody likes you, Liv--even Jack, and you know what a grump _he_ can be."

Olivia smiled as she slowly leaned over towards him. "I'm glad to hear that."

"You may have to take a psychiatric test," Daniel said, as he began to lean over to her, as well. "It's standard procedure; everybody takes it."

"Really?" Olivia asked in a husky whisper, as she gazed dreamily into his eyes. "That might be a problem. You see, I have a tendency to fall for guys who I work with."

"Oh, that's not a problem," Daniel said. "At least, not with _me_…."

They kissed then. It was tentative at first, and then the passion began to build as they tightly embraced each other, and--

--the door to Olivia's room was flung open, and Sam entered, only to come to a dead stop and stare at them in shock.

Olivia quickly broke her embrace and kiss with Daniel--feeling oddly guilty, as if having just been caught necking with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

"Um, hey, Sam…thanks for knocking," Daniel said sarcastically. He glanced at Olivia and added, "Uh, did _you_ hear her knock?"

For a split second, Sam stared back and forth between them with an expression on her face that was a mixture of both surprise and exhilaration. Then she quickly shook it off and said, "Liv, they just rushed Elliot to the infirmary."

"What?!" Olivia cried, as she stood up. "Why?"

"He was having a seizure, and his life was in danger," Sam said, shaking her head. "And that's all I know. Come on."

Olivia ran to the infirmary with Sam and Daniel, where she was taken to an observation lounge that overlooked an operating room. Jack O'Neill, Teal'c and General Hammond were already there. In the center of the operating room lay Elliot, whose upper body was propped up into a sitting position. He lay very still, with his eyes shut. All around him were doctors, including a team of strangely dressed humans whom Olivia figured must be the Tok'ra specialists. To her horror, they were taking off their masks and gloves--whatever had happened, it was now over.

And Elliot lay very still.

One of the Tok'ra, seeing Olivia pressed up against the glass, nodded gravely at her and said, "It is all over."

"Oh, God…no!" Olivia whimpered in despair.

"No! NO!" Janet Fraiser cried, frantically waving her hands. Dressed in surgical garb, she stood beside Elliot. "Olivia, he means that the procedure's over, that's all. He's fine! Elliot's gonna be all right!"

"Breathe, Liv," Daniel said, as he rubbed her shoulders, "just breathe…."

"Oh boy…." Olivia just wearily leaned her head against the glass. 'He's fine,' she told herself. 'Oh, thank Christ!'

"You freaking moron!" O'Neill roared at the Tok'ra through the glass.

"Pardon me?" the Tok'ra replied, dumbfounded.

"You nearly scared this poor woman to death!" O'Neill said, gesturing at Olivia. "You know, you guys may be scientific whizzes, but your bedside manner leaves a hell of a lot to be desired!"

"Everybody calm down right now," Hammond said. He came over to a frazzled Olivia and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, sir," she said with a relieved sigh. "Um, what happened?"

"Apparently, Ke'tesh tried to kill himself, and by doing so, he released a deadly toxin, which was also killing Detective Stabler," Hammond replied. "But, as you can see, they saved him in time."

"What happened to Ke'tesh?" Olivia asked.

Hammond gestured to a table off to the side, where a shriveled-up Goa'uld parasite lay twitching its last death rattle. "Ke'tesh wanted to die," Hammond said. "And he got his wish."

Olivia could not help but smile broadly at the dying creature which had caused so many people--Elliot especially--so much pain. "Hah!" she laughed triumphantly at it. "Suck it, you little bitch!"

Elliot's eyes shot open at that moment. When Janet went to see what was wrong, he said, "I thought I just heard Olivia."

"You did," Janet replied, smiling, as she pointed out Olivia to him.

"Hello, sweetie!" Olivia said. She cried tears of joy as she waved at him through the glass. For the first time in a long time, she was finally speaking with the real Elliot.

"Hey, Liv," Elliot replied, as he gave her a weak smile. "Man, you wouldn't believe the weird dream I just had…."

**SG-1: SVU**

When Casey woke up to the beeping sound, she instinctively reached over to slap the button on her alarm clock--only to realize that she wasn't in her bedroom. Then she realized that she wasn't even in New York.

Hell, she wasn't even on earth.

She was still aboard the captured Ha'tak vessel, which was presently orbiting the earth--a glorious view of the planet could be seen through the massive window that dominated the bedroom. As she marveled at that stunning sight, Casey wondered if she was still dreaming.

'If I am, I hope I never awaken from this wonderful dream,' she thought.

When the constant beeping made Char'el wake up with a start next to her, Casey shrugged and said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what that is, or else I would have shut it off before it woke you."

"The communications device, on the end table," he told her. "Put it in the palm of your hand and squeeze it gently."

Casey nodded when she saw that the small sphere on the table was glowing slightly. After pulling the blanket up over her bare chest, Casey palmed the sphere, and squeezed gently.

Olivia's face appeared, looking uneasy. "Is this thing working?" she asked, with a glance off to the side. "I don't see anything!"

"I think there's something on it now," Sam Carter's voice said. "See?"

"Liv?" Casey said, smiling. "I'm here."

"Oh, yeah, there you are," Olivia muttered, as she peered in close. The fisheye effect made her features look comically distorted when she did this. "Um, Elliot is back, sweetie. They removed the snake, and he's been asking for you."

"Oh, that's great!" Casey said joyfully. "I'll be right down."

"Good. You say goodbye to everybody up there, yet?"

When he heard this, Char'el abruptly got out of bed and began to dress.

'This is it,' Casey realized. 'The moment I've been avoiding--the moment of truth--has arrived.' She glanced at Char'el, who put on his Jaffa armor with the angry motions of a petulant child who did not want to go to school. 'He realizes it, too.'

"Um, Casey," Olivia said, frowning, as she peered in close, "are you naked?"

"I'll talk to you when I see you, Liv," Casey curtly said. She gently squeezed the communications devcie once more, and Olivia's image vanished.

Casey got out of the bed, still nude, and walked over to Char'el. He appeared to be greatly bothered by something. "Char'el?"

"Your Tauri clothes are over there," he said, pointing at a bench in front of the window. "You must be looking forward to returning home," he added, with a noticeable hitch in his voice. "After all you have been through…."

'Oh, God, he thinks I'm leaving for good right now,' Casey realized with shock. And then she wondered, 'Am I? Is this really goodbye?'

She walked over to the clothing that had been brought up for her earlier by Olivia. It was a standard issue, green SGC uniform, with a black t-shirt and boots. She imaged herself putting this on, saying goodbye to Char'el, Io'tan, and the others aboard this ship, and returning to earth. And soon, Casey would exchange this uniform for yet another: one of her business suits, as she went back to work as an ADA, arguing cases for the Special Victims Unit. Back to banging her head against a stone wall on a daily basis once more.

Casey then strode over to the massive window and folded her arms across her chest as she stared out at the wondrous sights of the universe. This offered so much more than her previous life--yet the terrors were stark, and beyond belief.

It really wasn't such a hard choice for her to make.

Char'el walked up behind her, and gently placed his hands on her bare shoulders. "Casey, are you well?"

"Yes, I am," she replied, smiling broadly. She turned around and gave him a loving kiss. "I've just made a very important decision."

**SG-1: SVU**

"God damn it, Casey!" Olivia cried. "No! You can't do this!"

"Oh, give me a break!" Casey replied, with a chuckle. "Like you're the only one here who can go cavorting around the universe?!"

"It's not the same damn thing, and you know it," Olivia shot back.

"You're leaving the SVU permanently, Olivia--well, so am I."

Olivia shook her head. They stood on opposite sides of a hospital bed, one in which Elliot lay, as he helplessly watched them fight. "It's not the same thing," Olivia said, straining to keep her voice calm and level. "Because, after _I_ cavort around the universe with SG-1, I still come back _here_, to earth. But you, you're gonna be out God knows where, and all because you fell hard for a guy!"

"Yes, Char'el is a big part of it," Casey admitted.

"Char'el," Elliot said with a smile. "Yeah, I remember him. He's a decent guy. Good choice, Casey."

Grateful for his kind words, Casey smiled down at him. "Thanks, Elliot."

"Just wish I treated him better…." Elliot dismally muttered. "Hell, I wish I treated _you_ better, Case. I'll always be haunted by the image of you trussed up to that column for hours on end--and then I cut you loose, only to have you be hunted down like a damn dog…."

"Hey, hey, stop that, all right?" Casey said, as she gently rubbed his good arm. "We all agreed earlier that, whatever you did as Ke'tesh, it wasn't your fault, remember? You don't blame Olivia for shooting you, and I don't blame you at all, Elliot. So stop blaming yourself."

He nodded. Then he glanced at her and said, "Hey, why does the ship have to leave at all? Why can't Char'el and the others just remain in orbit above the earth? You could hang out with him, but still be within shouting distance of us."

Casey shook her head. "Io'tan and Char'el don't want to remain in one place for very long. Not with Ba'al and the other system lords now on the hunt for whatever remnants of Netian Empire tech that's still lying around."

"That makes a lot of sense," Olivia said with a nod. "But you're just gonna walk away from your job--not to mention your life--as an ADA?"

"Truth be told, Liv, I had been considering quitting for quite some time now," Casey said, shaking her head. "I was getting burnt out. I never actually _did_ quit, because I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my life when I did. Now I have an option."

"To be a space princess full time?"

"To try and be an advocate for a fledging group of people who are fighting to make their way in the universe," Casey told her. "I've already spoken to both Char'el and Io'tan, and they're both more than happy to have me."

"Oh, I'm sure Char'el is real happy to have you around!"

"Hey, Liv, c'mon," Elliot said, as he shook his head. "That was a cheap shot."

"Yeah, you're right," Olivia quickly agreed. "Sorry, Case. I'm just still not crazy about this idea, that's all."

"I'm also not exactly crazy about _you_ leaving, Liv," Elliot flatly told her. "From what I've seen of what life is like out there, it scares the hell out of me. I can't wait to get back to my family, and my old job."

"I wish I could do that, El, but I can't," Olivia told him. "Having seen the scale of the struggle that earth is involved with in this war, I can't just go back to life as I knew it. I'm not saying that what the SVU does isn't important--it's very important. But if we lose the war against the Goa'uld, then we lose everything. And, by staying with SG-1, I'm still fighting for the SVU, in a sense; I'm fighting for its very right to exist, along with everything else on earth."

"You just took the words right out of my mouth, Olivia," Casey said. "I want to be a part of this larger struggle, as well. But instead of being with the SGC, I'll be helping to fight the Goa'uld on another front with Io'tan, Char'el and the others aboard the Hak'tyl."

"The what?" Olivia asked.

"Oh, yeah," Casey said with a smile. "The Hak'tyl. That's what we've decided to call the ship. It means 'liberation'."

Olivia shook her head slowly. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into here, Case?"

"I've seen Casey in action, Liv," Elliot said. "Believe me, if she can handle being a slave of the Goa'uld, then she can handle anything!"

"I don't doubt that," Olivia replied. "But fighting the Goa'uld won't exactly be a picnic."

"It won't be a picnic for either of us, Liv," Casey said.

"Which is why I want the both of you to promise me that you'll be very careful out there," Elliot told them.

"I promise, El," Olivia said.

"I do, too," Casey added.

Elliot shook his head. "No, that's not good enough for me; I need a hug from each of you to go with that. C'mon, let's go."

Casey grinned as she and Olivia sat down on either side of the bed and gave Elliot a hug at the same time. At the back of her mind, Casey couldn't help but wonder when the next time would come when she would be able to hug both Olivia and Elliot like this.

When she left Elliot's private room, Casey found Janet Fraiser waiting for her in the hallway.

"There's someone who would really like to see you," Janet told Casey. She gestured down the hallway.

Casey saw that Sarah Gardner stood there. Dressed in a hospital gown and robe, Sarah had an ashamed expression on her face as she gazed at the floor.

"Hello, Sarah," Casey said gently. "It's great to finally be able to meet you."

Sarah glanced up at her just then. And Casey was pleased to see that all trace of the arrogant, psychotic Osiris were truly gone, leaving behind this shy, tentative woman whom Casey sincerely thought was beautiful.

"I--" Sarah began to say--

And then she burst into tears.

Sarah collapsed against the wall, where she slid down into a kneeling position as she continued to cry with her hands covering her face.

Casey instantly knelt down beside her and gently pushed back Sarah's blond hair. "Sarah…."

But she backed away from Casey as if she were a live wire. "No, no!" she said through her sobs. "Y-You must hate me!"

"No I don't hate you," Casey told her. "I don't hate you at all, Sarah."

"B-But the things I did to you!" Sarah said, and this brought on a new wave of tears. "Oh God, how can you forgive me!"

"There is nothing for you to forgive," Casey replied. "Because, whatever abuse I suffered, it was at the hands of Osiris. It wasn't you, Sarah. It wasn't you."

Sarah stared at her in disbelief with tear-filled eyes. "Really?"

Casey held out her arms. "Come here."

Still sniffling, Sarah fell into Casey's arms.

"It wasn't you, Sarah," Casey repeated, as she rubbed the crying woman's back. Sarah clung to her tightly with her head on Casey's shoulder. "It wasn't you."

When she heard a stifled sob from behind her, Casey glanced up to see Olivia wiping away a tear. Janet, who had also lost it, hand her a tissue.

"Thanks," Olivia said, accepting the tissue. "You're a lifesaver."

"Well, yeah…I try to be," Janet shot back with a slight shrug.

**SG-1: SVU**

The staff meeting was delayed so as to give Rodney McKay and Jennifer Hailey time to arrive. When they did, they were both grinning like a pair of kids on Christmas morning.

Hailey snapped off a salute to Hammond, who sat at the head of the table. "Sorry for being late, sir."

"No need to explain," Hammond replied. "I understand you two were busy looking over our new toys."

"Yes sir," Hailey said, as she took a seat at the conference table next to Satterfield. "The alkesh and teltac ships have arrived and are everything that Io'tan promised: in brand new condition and loaded to the gills with the latest advancements."

Sam smiled at the thought of getting her hands on a hyperspace engine from one of the alkesh ships. Reverse-engineering one of those babies will be a big help for the Prometheus project, where creating a hyperspace engine from scratch had been a hard nut for the design team to crack.

Jack, who sat next to her, pointed at her face and muttered, "You've got some drool on your lip, there, Carter."

She shot him an annoyed look. "Why, gee, sir," she whispered, dripping with sarcasm, "_thank_ you so much."

"Anytime," he whispered back, unfazed. "I know how excited you get with all this tech talk."

"Lt. Hailey didn't tell you guys the best part," McKay added, as he dramatically held up a data crystal. "In my hand here, I hold--"

"Char'el gave us the design schematics for the seeker wave device, sir," Hailey quickly said.

McKay shot her a wounded look. "Hey, _I_ wanted to tell them…."

"Wow!" Sam was stunned to hear this. As if the small fleet of alkesh and teltac vessels weren't enough of a great gift from Io'tan, now they were armed with the ability to find cloaked ships--and more, considering that Io'tan's ship, the Hak'tyl, was able to cause some serious damage to Ba'al's vessel, which had enabled them to escape from Mount Tanis.

"Superb news," Hammond said. He glanced at Jack and added, "Looks like this new alliance will be very fruitful."

"That it has been, sir," Jack readily agreed.

Hammond glanced at Sam with a smile. "And it looks like you, Lt. Hailey and Dr. McKay will be very busy in the lab."

"Yes sir," Sam said, grinning broadly.

Jack abruptly reached over and placed a box of tissues on the table in front of her. When Sam gave him a questioning glance, he indicted his mouth, and said, "You have more drool…."

This caused laughter to break out around the table--even Hammond was chuckling--but none laughed harder than Casey, who shook her head at Sam and said, "Sorry!" in-between her giggles.

"That's ok, Casey," Sam good-naturedly. "I'm used to it."

"Oh, Casey!" McKay said suddenly, as if seeing her for the first time. "Didn't recognize you. Guess I'm not used to seeing you fully dressed."

After a moment of awkward silence, McKay added, "Um, uh, wait, I-I didn't mean to say that I saw you naked! Quite the opposite--although, I've gotta say, that scant little slave outfit you wore certainly didn't leave much to the imagination. I mean, especially how it really showed off your--"

"Dr. McKay," Hammond cut in, "please be quiet."

"Uh...yes sir…."

"I've been reading your reports," Hammond began, "and, it appears that, with the destruction of the Asgard Slayer, we no longer have _that_ worry on our minds."

"It would have been nice to have actually _examined_ the Asgard Slayer," Janet spoke up. "Then we could have provided Thor with a good idea as to exactly what that virus was, and how the Asgard could fight it."

"Thor seemed to be very satisfied that the Asgard Slayer was destroyed in the explosion," Jack commented. "His take was that the case was closed, so to speak."

"Yeah, is it me," Olivia asked, "or did Thor leave in an awful hurry? Not a very sociable little guy, is he?"

"The situation with the Replicators in his home galaxy requires his full attention back there," Hammond explained.

Olivia and Casey shared a confused look. "Replicators?" Olivia asked. "What's that?"

There was a collective groan from around the table. When she saw Jack slowly shake his head at the painful memory of their last encounter with the twitchy, unrelenting cyber-insects, Sam decided to answer Liv's question. "In their own way, the Replicators are an even worse threat than the Goa'uld, Liv. I'll tell you all about them later."

Both Olivia and Casey were visibly alarmed at that.

"Oh, ok," Olivia nervously replied. She looked as if she regretted asking the question.

"We've received a report from Jacob," Hammond said, as he regarded a sheet of paper before him. "He's returned to Mount Tanis."

Sam perked up at this news. Her father and Bra'tac had left about a day after they had returned to earth. Sam was sorry to see her dad leave so soon, but the Tok'ra had wanted him to report back to them as soon as possible.

"According to Jacob, the forces of Lord Ba'al are now completely in control of Mount Tanis," Hammond told them.

"So Ball boy survived our little encounter, huh?" Jack asked. "Damn…."

"He has been sighted on the surface of the planet by Jacob," Hammond said. "Now, I know we've discussed Lord Anubis in detail before, during your debriefing right after you came back, but--well, I have to admit, he makes me very uneasy."

"Believe me, sir," Jack said, "having met the guy personally, I know exactly what you mean."

"In your reports, you've all stated that Anubis was invincible," Hammond said. "And if that's the case, then how do we know that he didn't survive the explosion of the vault on Mount Tanis?"

"We don't," Daniel said. "I mean, how would we really know, either way?"

"We're talking about a matter/antimatter bomb, sir," Sam added. "That sort of weapon doesn't just blow things apart, sir, it disintegrates them within a pretty big blast radius."

"Which is the one bright spot in this situation," Satterfield said. "I mean, the vault, along with all of its secret weapons, is history. All of that firepower has been denied to Ba'al."

"Jacob states that he's since had to leave Mount Tanis because the Ha'tak ships in orbit began using the seeker wave," Hammond said. He glanced at Sam and added, "He's fine, Major. He's back safe and sound at Tok'ra headquarters. But, getting back to Anubis: even if he _is_ dead, who's to say we won't encounter more like him? And if so, how do we mount an effective defense against a being like that?"

"We still don't know for sure what he was, exactly," Olivia said. "Was he a Goa'uld?"

"If he was," Teal'c said grimly, "then he was unlike any I have ever encountered."

"Dr. Jackson, you said that Anubis was known as the lord of the dead, correct?" Hammond asked.

"Uh, yes--at least according to the ancient Egyptians," Daniel said. "But, having met Mr. Anubis, I can't help but wonder if the mythology surrounding him has become somewhat skewered over time."

"In what way?" Jack asked.

"He's known as the lord of the dead, which means that he's essentially the go-to guy for funerals in ancient Egypt," Daniel explained. "But, after seeing him in action, I think that the mythology might have originally meant that he was the lord of death--in other words, that he was a master over death itself."

"That he, Anubis himself, was immortal," Satterfield chimed in. "He can't be killed, no matter what."

"Yeah," Daniel said solemnly. "That pretty much sums it up. And if that should be the case, then hopefully, he's giving Ba'al a massive headache right now."

"We're still watching the situation with Lord Ba'al very closely," Hammond said, "and will hopefully see where the chips will fall with regard to this massive shift of power."

"Even without dealing with Anubis, Ba'al is far more powerful now than he was before," Daniel said. "With the resources of the Netian Empire behind him, it's safe to say he's become more powerful than the rest of the system lords combined."

After a moment of silence, Hammond said, "Well, at this point, all we can do is hope that Anubis was truly one of a kind, and that he's dead and buried. Moving onto other matters. Colonel O'Neill has informed me that he would like to add a member to SG-1, namely Detective Benson. Well, I'm pleased to inform everyone that that request has officially been approved."

Olivia grinned broadly as the whole table erupted into applause.

"And, Detective Benson will from now on be known as Special Agent Benson, of the FBI," Hammond added. He glanced at Olivia. "That's your new cover story, _Agent_ Benson. Officially, you are the FBI liaison for the Cheyenne Mountain facility regarding matters of counterterrorism. But, unofficially, you're the latest member of SG-1. Congratulations, and welcome."

"Thank you, sir," Olivia said humbly. "And thanks, to everybody in SG-1, for having me." Then she shook her head in disbelief. "Wait until Elliot hears that I've finally gone fed! He's gonna flip!"

"Overall, superb job, SG-1," Hammond said. "It's Thursday night, now. I'd like for all of you to take the weekend off."

"A three-day weekend?" Jack asked.

Hammond nodded. "You've earned it--all of you. If anything should come up, we'll give you a call."

Jack stood up and announced. "In that case, I'd just like to say there'll be a party at my place tonight. Everybody's invited. Leave your rank at the door."

"Hey, great!" McKay said, as he gave Jack a thumbs up sign. "I'll be there with bells on, Colonel!"

"Oh, crud...I forgot that he was here," Jack whispered into Sam's ear. "Hope _you_ can make it, Major."

"Yes, I'll be there, as well, sir," Sam replied. "And don't worry, I'll be sure to wipe off any residual drool I may have on my lips."

Jack nodded in approval as they got up from the table. "Thinking like that will help you to go far in today's Air Force, Major."

**SG-1: SVU**

Qetesh smiled as she regarded the slave who knelt before her. He was a muscular young man who wore only a loincloth--and Qetesh had to admit, he wore it very well.

She smiled down at him. "I must say, I do like the way the slaves are attired here on Mount Tanis--in next to nothing, with plenty of skin. Just the bare essentials. What is your name, boy?"

"Dan'ak, my mistress," he responded without looking up.

"Dan'ak," Qetesh said, rolling his name off of her tongue a few times as she made a lazy circuit about the ruined interior of the temple. "What temple was this, Dan'ak?"

"The temple of the High Priestess, my mistress."

"Rather large temple, for just one woman," Qetesh commented.

"It also housed the Priestesses in Waiting, my mistress."

Qetesh stared at him, amused. "Really? A harem of women? Lord Ba'al might enjoy this. After all, it's only fair that I should get him something from my little shopping spree. Where are they hiding?"

"I do not know, my mistress."

Qetesh stared at Mar'ek, the First Prime, who looked visibly uncomfortable. "Mar'ek, where _are_ these Priestesses in Waiting?"

"We do not know, my Queen," he said uneasily.

"You do not know?" Qetesh repeated, with a slight chuckle. She turned towards the slave and asked, "How many of these Priestesses in Waiting are there?"

"Several, hundred, my mistress--including their own legion of Jaffa, who are loyal only to them and the High Priestess."

"And how, exactly, does one lose several hundred people?" Qetesh asked, as she turned a critical eye back on the First Prime.

"We suspect they were aboard the Ha'tak that had been commandeered by SG-1," Mar'ek replied. "The Ha'tak that managed to escape our--"

"Do not remind me!" Qetesh said with disgust. She cringed in despair at having to abandon their Ha'tak flagship, which was badly damaged by that dastardly attack launched by the horrid Colonel O'Neill of SG-1. Qetesh loved that Ha'tak; she had spent hours working on the lavish decorating, especially within their private quarters.

She had been so devastated that Ba'al had ordered the beheadings of the entire peltac command staff in an attempt to cheer Qetesh up. And normally, a good beheading was all that it usually took to lift her spirits--but not this time. She really did love that ship; it would be very hard to replace, especially the elaborate quilt design pattern on the bed sheets.

"Oh, well," Qetesh murmured, as she gazed out over the smoking cityscape of Mount Tanis. "We may have lost a flagship, but we gained an empire. And with that, we can transfer our flag to any ship we desire. Come, muscles, I want to introduce you to Lord Ba'al."

"Yes, my mistress," Dan'ek replied, as he got to his feet and followed her.

Qetesh found Ba'al at the crater where the vault used to be; he was at the very base of the crater, standing with several armed Jaffa, as they all stared at something in the dirt.

"Remain here," Qetesh ordered Dan'ek, who promptly knelt down with his head bowed.

'Very nice specimen,' Qetesh thought, as she decended into the crater on steps that had been blasted into the glass-like surface. 'If all the men here on Mount Tanis are that delicious-looking, I may get more for my collection.'

"Ba'al, darling," she called, as she strode up to him.

"You appear to be feeling better, my love," Ba'al said, as he greeted her with a kiss.

"That's because I met Dan'ek," she replied, as she happily pointed at the kneeling slave. "Isn't he cute?"

Ba'al frowned at the man who knelt on the rim of the crater. "_Another_ personal slave? And how many does that make now? Twelve?"

"You can never have too many personal--" Qetesh started to say, until she got a look at what lay on the ground before them.

At first Qetesh thought what she saw were a group of slugs that were crawling around in the dirt. But then she noticed that they were flesh-colored, and that they were all in varying sizes, all crawling towards a larger writhing mass in the center. When the smaller slugs reached the larger mass, they melted into it, adding onto the mass--which began to look uncomfortably like a body.

"What is going on, here?" Qetesh asked in a frightened whisper.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Ba'al casually said. "Qetesh, meet Lord Anubis. You'll have excuse the lord of the dead, my dear, while he pulls himself back together."

Qetesh shook her head in disgust as her mind reeled in horror at the sight before her. "That…that _thing_ is an abomination! Destroy it, Ba'al, now!"

"We did," he said, smiling. "When I first saw he was reforming, I had the Jaffa blast him back into little, charred bits. And then, the charred bits healed on their own and began crawling back towards each other once more. If nothing else, Lord Anubis is very tenacious."

One of the science officers appeared at the rim of the crater. "The stasis tube is here, my lord."

"Excellent," he called back. "Bring it down, now. I want to freeze him before he's formed up any further than he is."

Qetesh gave him a shocked look. "You're not actually thinking of keeping that thing, are you?"

"You have your hobbies, my love," Ba'al said, gesturing at Dan'ek. Then he pointed at the writhing mass of flesh on the ground. "And I have mine."

**To be finally concluded (really!) in the next chapter....**


	15. Epilogue

_I'd also like to thank everybody who saved this story to either their favorites or alerts list. _

**Stargate: SVU 2**

**Epilogue**

Sam smiled as she took a sip of her beer. She sat next to Jack in his living room, watching with interest as Olivia comforted a sorrow-filled Grace on the sofa across from her. While people had joyfully partied all around her, Grace had steadily slid into a silent depression while she sat off by herself--the reason being she had sorely missed her new best friend, little Noli, very badly. Sam was about to go over and console her, until Olivia did. She told Grace a heartbreaking story of trying to save the life of an abused little boy, back when she was with the SVU in Manhattan.

"I wanted to take this kid home," Olivia told Grace. "I really did. But Elliot talked some sense into me."

"What did he say?" Grace asked.

"That I was getting too close to the case," Olivia replied. "And he was right, I was. So I just let him go. I just had to have faith that he would be ok, you know? I had to let the system work."

"What happened to him?"

"Well, I still kept tabs on him, and found out that he was adopted by a loving family," Olivia said. "He's now in junior high school, doing great and getting spectacular grades."

Grace looked thoughtful. "So you're saying I need to let go of Noli."

"Unless you want to either adopt him--or go with him."

Daniel, who sat next to Olivia on the sofa, leaned forward and called, "Casey, you have room aboard the Hak'tyl for Satterfield?"

Casey, who was deep in conversation with Rodney, looked over with a confused expression. "Why? She wants to come, too?"

"No," a smiling Grace said, shaking her head. "Pay no attention to him, Casey. Sorry to disturb you."

As Grace resumed talking with Olivia, Sam stared over at Casey and Rodney--he resumed talking incessantly to Casey, who had the trapped look of a woman who didn't really want to be having this conversation. A glance at Char'el, who sat with Teal'c by the windows, told Sam that he also didn't appreciate Rodney spending so much time with his love.

Sam was amused to see how well Char'el fit in, clad as he was in regular civilian clothes, which Casey had picked out for him to wear. There was still his Jaffa tattoo on his forehead, of course. But Teal'c solved that problem for Char'el by lending him one of his hats.

'Who knew Teal'c--of all people--would become a good source for fashion tips?' she thought, smiling.

Janet, who sat on Sam's right, shook her head slightly. "It's really something about Casey leaving earth, huh?"

"I didn't know she had it in her," Sam said, impressed.

"Hammond asked her to write a report on her experiences," Jack told them. "I read it, and what Casey went through was pretty damn amazing. She's far more tougher than she looks. After Hammond read her report and spoke with her, he told me to give Casey a GDO."

Sam nodded. "Great idea. Then she and the others aboard the Hat'tyl can contact us whenever they need to. It also looks like you were right; we now have a new ally out there."

Jack gazed at her with an impish smile. "I thought you knew by now that I'm always right, Sam."

"Oh, man," Sam said with a groan, as she rolled her eyes in mock disgust. "That sounds like something my dad would say."

A grinning Janet gestured at her daughter and added, "Actually, that's exactly what Cassie told me recently."

Cassie sat on the living room floor with Jennifer; they were both busy inspecting Jack's music collection--and judging from the looks of disapproval on Cassie's face, she didn't find Jack's choice in music to be very impressive.

"I'm sorry I don't have any Jonas Brothers, Cassie," Jack jokingly said.

"What makes you automatically think I _like_ the Jonas Brothers?" Cassie shot back.

"Perhaps it's having all of their posters plastered _all_ over the walls of your bedroom?" Janet wearily asked. "Could that be it?"

"MOM!" Cassie said, shocked, as everybody laughed. Then she waved her hands as she turned back to inspecting Jack's CD collection. "Oh, that's it, I'm no longer speaking to you."

"That's about the hundredth time this week that she's said _that_ to me," Janet muttered to Sam.

Sam laughed--until she saw Teal'c suddenly get up from his seat with a purpose. The Jaffa strode over to Rodney, who was still chattering away at poor Casey.

"Excuse me, Dr. McKay?" Teal'c asked.

"Uh, yes?" Rodney asked, looking annoyed to have been interrupted.

"I was just wondering if you agree with Dr. Lee's assessment that it is impossible for the seeker wave technology to be adapted to an earth ship," Teal'c said.

Rodney looked outraged, as if he himself had just been insulted. "What? Bill Lee actually said that?!"

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed."

"Oh, well, obviously he's _wrong_!"

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "Is he?"

"Of course he is!" Rodney said, as he shook his head. "Where does he get off saying that _I'm_ wrong?!"

"I was just about to go refresh my drink," Teal'c said. "Perhaps you could take the time to enlighten me?"

"Oh, you bet I will! Uh, excuse me, Casey…."

"No problem," Casey said with a relieved look.

As she quickly sat down next to Char'el, Casey made an exaggerated motion of wiping her brow. Char'el, looking concerned, asked, "Are you well?"

"I'm fine," she replied, as she gave him a kiss. "Now that I'm with you."

"Whoa," O'Neill said, as he watched Teal'c in the kitchen patiently listen to Rodney's mile a minute explanation on the finer points of adapting alien engineering to earth technology. "You owe Teal'c big, Casey. He took a major hit for you just now."

"I will always be in his debt," Casey said, grinning.

"What in God's name is Creedence Clearwater Revival?" Cassie said, as she regarded one of O'Neill's CDs with distain.

"My parents listen to them," Jennifer replied. "They're not that bad."

"You hear this?" Jack muttered, with a glance at Sam. "Hailey's _parents_ have the same taste in music as I do!"

"It's official," Daniel said, as he raised his bottle of beer. "You're old."

"Thank you so much, Daniel," Jack replied sarcastically.

"The classics never grow old," Sam abruptly said, as she affectionately squeezed his hand. "That includes you, Jack."

She went to remove her hand from his--but he gently held on. When Sam gave him a meaningful look, he said, "Well, I _did_ say we would be dropping ranks at this party."

She smiled at him.

"Speaking of ranks," Grace spoke up. "What does anybody know about a Major Lorne? I heard he'll be taking over SG-12."

"Oh, it's official?" Jennifer asked with surprise. When Grace nodded, she made a face. "Well, I guess our days of being members of SG-1 had to end sometime."

"Aw," Olivia said sadly, as she gave Grace a one-armed hug. "I don't want you and Jennifer to leave!"

"We don't want to leave either, Liv," Grace said, as she hugged her back.

When Sam gave him a wistful look, Jack turned to Grace and Jennifer and said, "I'd love for the two of you to remain with SG-1, too. But, apparently, Hammond has already made his decision."

"Can't you just go talk to him and make him change his mind?" Cassie asked.

"You met General Hammond," Jack told her. "Would _you_ like to try and change his mind?"

Cassie just gave him a wide-eyed look of fear. "Um…forget it."

"Major Lorne's as good as they come," Jack assured Grace and Jennifer. He got up and collected both his and Sam's empty bottles. "I'll get you another one, Sam."

"You trying to get me drunk, now?" she lightly asked.

"I just thought--" he started to say. Then he shook his head. "Never mind; that's ok, Sam."

Sam stared after him, as Jack left the room with the empty bottles. After sharing a puzzled look with Janet, Sam said, "Excuse me."

"Certainly," Janet replied, with a knowing smile.

She found Jack in the kitchen, placing the bottles in a recycle bin. He stopped and glanced up at her. "Change your mind, Sam?"

McKay was so busy chattering at Teal'c that he barely knew Sam and Jack were there. Still, in order to ensure privacy, Sam moved closer to Jack and kept her voice low. "I didn't want to drink more than one beer, since I'll be driving back later."

"I understand," he said. "No need to explain."

"But what were you about to say before?" she asked. "You just thought…what?"

"I just thought, seeing how we have the whole weekend off, that you might want to spend the night here, if you wanted to," he said softly. "No need to worry about having a second beer, then."

"You turning this gathering into a slumber party?"

He thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. But, I was hoping it would be a slumber party just for the two of us."

Sam felt a growing wave of excitement rise up within her. She glowered over her shoulder at the ever-babbling McKay, and really wished that he weren't here right now. McKay's presence hindered her from giving Jack the response that she felt in her heart right now.

When she saw that Jack had placed another beer on the table for himself, Sam realized how she could discreetly answer him. She gestured at the beer and asked, "You mind?"

He smiled broadly. "Sure. Help yourself."

Once he got another beer for himself from the fridge and opened it, Sam clinked her bottle with his in an impromptu toast.

"To slumber parties," he said.

"To slumber parties," Sam recited, just before she took a sip of her beer.

"You have to promise that you'll do my hair and nails, later," Jack solemnly told her. "After all, if we're really gonna do this slumber party, we might as well do it right."

She grinned at him. "Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

**SG-1: SVU**

O'Neill awoke with a start. Sam, whose head was resting on his chest, also woke up with an alarmed look on her face.

"Take it easy. It's me," O'Neill told her, when he heard the ringing from his nightstand. "It's my phone--although it sounds kind of strange…."

"It's both of our phones," Sam said, as she reached out in the darkness for her cell phone on the opposite nightstand. After she checked the screen, she said, "It's Cheyenne Mountain."

"Yeah, same here," O'Neill muttered, as he stared bleary-eyed at the caller-ID screen on his phone. He felt an ominous sense of foreboding sweep through him. The fact that The Mountain was calling the both of them at the same time, while they were on their R&R, could not be good news.

"I'll take my call outside," Sam said, as she quickly got out of bed and ran out the doorway. She looked as agile as a gazelle.

Once she was out of the room, O'Neill answered his phone. "Yeah, O'Neill here. What's up?"

"Colonel O'Neill?" a firm yet polite male voice asked. "We have a priority one alert, sir. Your presence is required at The Mountain, ASAP."

"Very well," O'Neill said with a groan.

"Do you need transportation, sir?"

"No, I've got it. Thanks. I'm on my way in now."

"Very good, sir."

O'Neill hung up and padded out to the kitchen, where he found Sam leaning against the counter, having just closed her cell phone. She was clad only in one of his t-shirts, which fit her like a dress. Her hair was messed up, and she still appeared very sleepy.

In short, Sam looked beautiful, just as she always did.

"Same thing?" he asked. "Priority one alert message?"

She nodded. "Report to The Mountain, ASAP."

"So much for R&R," he said dismally. When he noticed Sam had stared down at the t-shirt that she wore with a disturbed look, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Of all the shirts you could have given me," she said with a pained expression. "Why'd it have to be _this_ one, Jack?"

That was when he noticed the Air Force emblem on her chest, along with the cheery slogan: _U.S. Air Force: Aim High!_

"Sorry," he said with a chuckle. "Do you regret this?"

"Not at all, Jack," she said, as she embraced him warmly.

"Good," he replied. O'Neill reveled in the softness of her, as he gently ran his hand through her hair. "Neither do I."

"My only regret is that it had to end so soon," Sam said, once they parted.

"We'll just have to make an appointment for another slumber party," he told her.

She smiled. "Already looking forward to it."

They got dressed and went over to Cheyenne Mountain in O'Neill's truck. When they arrived at the conference room in the SGC, it was 4:30 AM, and everyone else from SG-1 was there--as well as Janet Fraiser, Rodney McKay and Lieutenants Hailey and Satterfield.

O'Neill smiled at the sight of a hung over Daniel sitting at the conference table, looking miserable. He only had one beer at O'Neill's get-together, but that usually was all that it took to get Daniel properly smashed. Olivia came over with two cups of coffee: one for Daniel, and the other for Satterfield, who also looked like she had a bit more to drink than she could handle.

O'Neill appreciated how maternal and caring Olivia acted towards both Daniel and Satterfield. 'I'm glad she's on the team permanently,' he thought. 'She's a great addition.'

Olivia then sat down in the chair next to Daniel, and proceeded to brush back a strand of his hair as he drank his coffee. Then Olivia reached over and casually fixed Daniel's collar, to which Daniel thanked her with a nod of his head.

O'Neill frowned at this. While Olivia had acted in a maternal fashion towards Satterfield, she was being _very_ familiar with Daniel, in the same way that a girlfriend would.

When he glanced over at Sam, who sat next to him, O'Neill noted that she gazed at Olivia and Daniel with an approving grin.

"Is it my imagination," he whispered into her ear, "or are Daniel and Liv acting even more…chummy than usual?"

Sam glanced at him, still grinning. "It sure looks that way, don't it, sir?"

O'Neill got the sneaking suspicion that Sam knew more about this situation than she was telling, yet before he could say anything further, General Hammond entered the conference room. Sgt. Harriman was with him, wheeling in a large HD TV.

"My apologies for disturbing your R&R," Hammond told all of them. "But this news just couldn't wait. What you are about to see was recorded by Tok'ra spies on Mount Tanis. This occurred several hours ago, our time. Go ahead, Walter."

Harriman pressed a button on a remote, and an image of Ba'al appeared on the TV. He stood clad in the regal adornments of a king, alongside a beautiful woman with raven hair.

"The coronation ceremony is complete," Ba'al grandly intoned, "and we have been properly ordained as your Lord Emperor Ba'al, and Lord Empress Qetesh, the rightful rulers of the Netian Empire. Let all those who doubt our right to rule now cast their eyes on Anubis, the lord of the dead, whom we have vanquished in battle!"

They both parted in a theatrical manner, allowing the viewer to see a stasis tube that stood behind them. And within this stasis tube, lay Lord Anubis, complete with his jackal visage. The image broke up just then.

"That's all they had been able to record," Hammond said. "And we have further news. The Tok'ra informed us that Ba'al, armed with the Netian Imperial fleet, has begun a series of large scale attacks all across the galaxy."

"Whom has he attacked?" Teal'c asked.

"Everyone," Hammond grimly answered. "All of the system lords, all across the board, have now come under attack from Ba'al's forces."

"Oh, for crying out loud," O'Neill said in annoyance.

"Uh, once again, we've basically exchanged one problem for an even bigger one," Daniel muttered, sounding equally annoyed. "And, so much for hoping that Anubis was blown away by the explosion…."

"It's real nice how Ba'al is taking credit for killing Anubis," Olivia said with disgust. "He wasn't even there!"

"Sgt. Harriman, could you freeze the image of Anubis?" Fraiser asked. When he did, she got up and examined the image closely. "It's hard to say for sure, General, but Anubis looks pretty dead to me, here."

"He may still be alive, Janet--just frozen within the stasis tube," Sam added. "I'd love to know how Ba'al got him back in there...."

"Even if he were dead, Anubis will still be of vital aid to Ba'al," Teal'c said. "The very sight of a hated and feared enemy of the Goa'uld in the hands of Ba'al may well persuade Jaffa to go to his side."

"Who's this Qetesh?" Sam asked. "I never heard of her."

"Neither did the Tok'ra," Hammond told her. "They always figured Ba'al worked alone, and so they were caught off guard when they saw her here."

"Qetesh was known as the goddess of love and beauty in ancient Egypt," Daniel said.

"Actually, she originated in the Canaanite religion, Dr. Jackson," Satterfield politely corrected. "And was later adopted by the Egyptians."

"Right, right," Daniel said, nodding. "Forgive me, I'm still a little fuzzy from the party. Um, her husband was thought to have been Resheph, the Canaanite deity of plague and war. So I'm not exactly sure how she wound up with Ba'al."

"Maybe Ba'al killed her husband, and Qetesh--knowing a good meal ticket when she saw it--shacked up with Ba'al," Olivia suggested.

"Hey, stranger things have happened with the Goa'uld," Daniel said with a shrug.

"Mut's been dead for barely a day before these attacks started," Rodney commented. "Ba'al certainly didn't waste any time, did he?"

"Neither should we, sir," O'Neill said to Hammond. "The situation in the galaxy has changed rapidly--we need to develop a response if we're to defend ourselves. I mean, it's great having the Asgard around to protect us, but seeing how Neith came up with the Asgard slayer, I'd just as soon as find a way to enable earth to properly defend itself."

"I couldn't agree more, Colonel," Hammond replied. "SG-1 has always been the flag ship team of the SGC, and, in light of recent developments, you and your team now have top priority. From now on, all resources will be allocated to you. So whatever you need, just ask for it."

O'Neill saw his chance, so he went for it. "In that case, sir. I'd like to request that Lieutenants Hailey and Satterfield be made permanent members of SG-1." He glanced at Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and Olivia, who all nodded in approval. "We could use their extra help, sir, as well as their extra brainpower."

"Very well," Hammond said with a nod. "I'll inform Major Lorne."

O'Neill turned to the lieutenants. "Hear that, kids? It's official; you're both a part of the team, full-time."

"Thank you very much, sir," Hailey said, grinning broadly.

"Yes, sir," Satterfield chimed in, smiling. "Thank you."

Daniel waved a finger at them. "Just wait…wait until we're all running for our lives from God knows what monstrosity in some ancient temple someplace--and _then_ see if you're still happy to be in SG-1."

"You're a very grumpy drunk," Olivia told him. "Aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah…which is why I don't drink that often," he replied.

"Thank God for small favors," she muttered with a smile.

With their R&R cancelled, the meeting broke up to allow everyone to get some extra sack time, before getting back to work the following morning--which, as O'Neill noted, was just a few hours from now. Hammond already had an assignment for them: a scouting mission for alien technology on a deserted planet that had been briefly explored by a MALP, but which never had boots placed on the ground...until now. Further details on the mission will be given to them at a conference to be held at 0900 hours.

As they walked out of the conference room, O'Neill didn't feel like going back to bed, and a glance at Sam showed him that she didn't appear very tired, either. "Say, Carter, I recall that we still had an appointment for cake that kept being pushed back…thanks to all of this Goa'uld silliness. Since we have some spare time, care to join me now?"

She considered it briefly, then nodded. "Partake in cake with you, sir? Certainly."

Olivia gave her a strange look. "Is Dr. Seuss is on the loose?"

"He is if there's cake involved," Sam told her. "Care to join us?"

"Sure," Olivia replied. She glanced at Daniel. "Want to go, Daniel? Or is your stomach bothering you?"

"My stomach's fine," he said. "It's my brain that feels like a ball of fuzz."

"Aw," Olivia murmured, as she affectionately rubbed the back of his head. "Poor baby."

"Um," Rodney said, as he walked up to the group. "Excuse me. I realize that, technically, while I'm not actually a member of SG-1--"

"Yes, McKay," O'Neill said with a weary nod. "You can have cake with us, too. C'mon."

"Oh, really?" Rodney burst into a smile. "Cool."

"Cake?" Fraiser said, as she blanched. "This early in the morning?"

"Come along with us, anyway, Fraiser," O'Neill told her. "You can monitor us while we eat, in case anybody goes into excessive sugar shock. Hey, Hailey, Satterfield, join us. It'll be your first piece of cake as members of SG-1."

"Thanks, sir," Hailey said.

"Yes, Thank you," Satterfield added. "Is eating cake a newbie ritual that all new SG-1 recruits must go through?"

"No," Teal'c solemnly replied. "That occurs much later, when you are both hung upside-down over the flaming fire pits of Shak-Rad. Only then do you truly become an SG-1 member…assuming you survive, of course."

Both Hailey and Satterfield stared at him in wide-eyed terror--until the group around them burst into laugher.

"Teal'c, you wild man!" O'Neill said, shaking his head. "You're coming, too, right?"

"I shall indeed partake in cake with you, O'Neill," he said with a slight bow.

This brought on another round of laughter. "Two funny jokes in a row from Teal'c," O'Neill said, awestruck. "What are the odds of that?"

"Two funny jokes in a row?" Teal'c cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are not _all_ my jokes humorous, O'Neill?"

"Uh--" O'Neill anxiously muttered, unable to figure out what to say to that. Then he burst into a grin when Teal'c abruptly gave him a smile.

"_Three_ in a row," Olivia said with amazment. "Damn, Teal'c, you're now ready for the Catskills comedy curcuit!"

As they all started walking towards the mess hall, Satterfield pointed at how Olivia and Daniel held hands. She turned to Hailey and conspiratorially said, "Oooo, I think they're a couple!"

Daniel pointed back at Satterfield and said to Olivia, "See this one here? She once had the hugest crush on me!"

"No way!" Satterfield said, with a shocked expression.

"Yes way," Daniel replied.

"No way!"

"Yes way--infinity."

"No way--double infinity," Satterfield shot back.

"See, this is why I joined the Air Force," O'Neill sarcastically muttered to a smiling Fraiser. "For the intellectually stimulating conversations, just like this."

Sam glanced back at a laughing Olivia and said, "Happy you joined up with this bunch _now_, Liv?"

Olivia just flashed her a brilliant smile. "There's no other place I'd rather be, Sam."

**The End...for now**

_A/N: There may be some fans of the SG-1 series who have cried foul at my Anubis, who's nothing like the Anubis from the show. Bear in mind, when I did research into this character, I discovered that Anubis had a jackal head...and realized that this was just too good to ignore. One of the joys of writing prose fiction is that you're not limited to a budget, or to what the make up or special effect departments can pull off. And so I went with an Anubis with a jackal head--and, in the writing of this character, he became a more primal, beast-like creature. Writing is filled with choices; this was just one of the choices that I made. _

_It's pretty clear by now that this is an alternate universe version of SG-1--just by having Olivia join them made it so. And while I had originally planned to end these stories here, I've since changed my mind. There will be a third SG-1: SVU adventure, and look for even more characters from both SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis to show up within the next story. _

_Listening to the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack CDs put me in the proper mood for this story every time, and so I recommend them once more. But another great CD was Battlestar Galactia Season 3, by Bear McCreary. There is one track on this CD, "Surviving New Caprica", that is marvelous to listen to if you're ever writing an intense battle scene. But the whole CD was very good; the dynamic, often somber music helped me to write the dark scenes where Casey is struggling to survive on Mount Tanis. _

_And, once again, I must give thanks to Kathleen Ritter for her outstanding book, Stargate: SG-1 ~ The Ultimate Visual Guide. A wonderful book--especially for SG-1 fanfic writers. _


End file.
